Apprehension
by theoncomingwolf-tumblr-ao3
Summary: Jailbreak AU where the Crystal Gems do not escape, and are instead brought back to Homeworld as prisoners.
1. Chapter 1

The red gem is yelling again.

She's in a different room than him now, but she's loud. Usually what she's yelling sounds like "Sapphire"- the gem she was desperate to find when he broke them both out, but now it's mostly just noise and what sounds a bit like muffled curse words.

Steven wasn't sure what his plan was upon getting out, but he thought Garnet, Amethyst, or Pearl might know. As it was, he never got farther than the hallway before a meaty arm wrapped around his neck. The red gem stopped in her tracks, showing enough apparent concern for the boy she'd just met to follow Jasper back into her cell. Steven feels bad about that. He's not sure why she cared, when she had her friend to find, but he thinks he'll have to thank her when he sees her again.

The yelling gets softer and softer until he can't hear it anymore. It's quiet, then, for a while- even the perpetual hum of the engines shut off an hour ago, just before the yelling started up.

Steven waits, thinking about how hungry he is. He's been stuck for two days on the ship, with nothing to eat. Pearl says that he needs to eat even more than humans do, because he's consuming so much energy being half a gem. He wonders if he'll poof, if he doesn't eat soon.

Steven's thoughts are interrupted by the heavy footfalls of Jasper.

"I'm hungry..."

"Yes, Lazuli says you're a human- organic. I suppose you'll die without?" Jasper sighs, "We'll get you something to eat. Come with me."

She turns the key in the physical cell, swinging the barred door open. Her large, strong hands remind him of Garnet until she takes a hold of his arm. Garnet is gentle and caring.

Jasper twists his arms behind his back, securing his wrists with a piece of metal, which tightens almost painfully as she locks it. Steven twists to catch sight, and is horrified to see the glint of a gem from the cuffs.

"Hold your breath, it's not oxygen here," Jasper mutters, pulling him quickly through the airlocked door, which has popped open, and onto the warp-pad before them, "breathe," she commands, once the light has faded.

He's marched forward, Jasper's hand on his shoulder, until he comes face to face with Peridot and a large yellow gem. She's about Garnet's size, and wherever her gem is, he can't see it. He wonders if it is on her back, like Lapis', or in her hands, like Garnet. He wonders where the gem on his wrist placed hers.

"Who was she?" He asks, walking forward with Jasper's hand on his collar.

"Who?" Jasper asks, looking puzzled; Peridot seems to catch on, glancing behind him.

"Looks like a Hackmanite- pretty good shapeshifters," Peridot tells him, "they're good for shackles, because then the cuffs can size up or down with you if you decide to shapeshift out of them."

"I'm not even a good shapeshifter! I once turned myself into a pile of cats by mistake," Steven says, hoping they're not imprisoning this gem for his sake- Lapis seemed to really hate her mirror.

"Pile of... cats...?" Peridot repeats, "What's a-"

"Stop talking to the prisoner!" Jasper snaps, "Peridot- you're an earth expert, aren't you? Go find something organic that he can eat that won't kill him."

Peridot looks offended at her task, but slinks off, muttering insubordinately the whole way out of earshot.

"Are we on homeworld?" Steven asks, amazed.

"No." Jasper growls, leading him to another pad, "that'll take another couple warps."

Two more times the light fades, and Steven is sure they've arrived. Unlike the first room, this one is ornate and busy. The large yellow gem hovers behind them as Jasper opens the door behind the pad with a glow of her gem. It splits into yellow fractals.

"Pearl!" Steven yells, excitedly; his eyes water with relief at seeing her.

Pearl's head snaps over to look at him. Her hands are also pulled behind her back, and she's being escorted by three gems that are around her own size.

"Steven?" she says, as one of the gems shoves her forward to leave the room.

Pearl responds by throwing her head back, hard; there's a sharp crack as she makes contact with the gem's face. Steven wonders if she's cracked her gem, before he realizes that it's on her chest and the noise was the guard's nose breaking. Pearl uses the distraction to pull away, but before Jasper even has a chance to hit her, the other two gems pull her to the ground. Pearl grunts as her jaw hits the hard ground, head held up a bit to protect her gem during the fall. Steven's anxiety about the whole situation increases.

Pearl's logical- she had to know she couldn't save him just like that. So if she's trying, Steven thinks it must be bad.

"I'm sorry Steven," she yells, crying, as he's taken from the room.

Peridot is waiting outside, gaze directed through the doorway and not at them.

"Where are you taking him?" Pearl yells, and Jasper drags him farther and farther away, "He wasn't even alive during the war! He has nothing to do with-"

Steven stops, turning as he hears Pearl's yells cut abruptly off. Jasper wrenches him forward, keeping them moving, but Peridot looks a little sick, like she did when Jasper pulled the gem destabilizer on Garnet.

"Where are you taking me?" Steven croaks, tears running down his face.

Peridot shrugs, and both of their gazes shift to Jasper. She looks at them, acknowledging the question, but says nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

Steven sees a few gems that look the same, as he's escorted quietly through the large halls. There are two gangly blue ones, with gems on opposite shoulders. There's another gem like the yellow one escorting him- Citrine, he's heard her called. And there's three of his red gem from the ship coming to pass by him. Two are twice as big, with twice as many visible gems, and are carrying the third, smaller red gem along by her 're being given a wide berth, as the floor has a clear, charred trail where her feet have been able to hit the ground. He feels bad again, and wishes she hadn't seen Jasper catch him. Maybe she could have found her friend and gotten away.

Nevertheless, he had something to say to her.

"Thank you!" He calls, loudly. Many heads turn towards him, but none as interested as hers.

The blank expression in her glassy, tear-filled eyes turns to one he can't quite pick out. She already looked sad, but now she looks rather determined, too. The red gem slams her feet into the floor- there's a popping sound as the direct heat cracks the stone, allowing her to get in a good hold on the melting rock.

The two red gems next to him glance at each other in a panic, fusing effortlessly into an extra large gem- whose head nearly hits low-hung parts of the ceiling by the wall- and pulls Steven's friend out of the ground, carrying her away as Jasper pulls him along more quickly.

Her wails echo down the chamber after him.

...

He's put back into a cell, but this time, at least he's eaten. Peridot left again after his relocation, and brought back some weird squares with fairly good taste, like protein bars. He's not sure where she got them, but they seem like they might have been made in a lab, judging by Peridot's comments on how they had sufficient nutrients for humans to survive. She seemed annoyed that she was on "human duty" at all, since she was a technician, but he let her know he appreciated her company. Peridot looked alarmed, glancing towards the guard in the room, and left. He'd been alone since, with only the guard to keep him company. She wouldn't converse with him, and he'd only heard her voice when Jasper was giving orders to her and the two outside his room.

He's been there for a while, but he knows gems don't sleep, so he knows it's not just because it's night. If it even is night- Steven's , he sleeps for a little while, curled into a tight ball, and resolves to ask Jasper for a blanket. It's not cold, but added warmth helps him sleep.

"Why do you have bars if gems can shapeshift?" he asks Jasper, when she returns; she's holding the cuffs with the gem in the middle again.

"These cells aren't for gems," Jasper says.

"Oh," Steven says, rubbing his eye, sleepily, "are we going out again?"

"Do you need more food?" Jasper asks, and Steven nods, also requesting a blanket; he has to describe to her what it is, but she takes both ordersand passes them onto his guard, telling her to find Peridot Facet 2F5L Cut 5XG.

"Are there other Peridots?" Steven asks.

"Yes." Jasper says, a 'duh' sort of tone in her voice.

She's answering his questions now, so he keeps them coming.

"Where are my friends?" Steven asks, "Are they in a cell too? What's going to happen to them?"

"They'll be treated as war criminals. Maybe you should wonder what will happen to you."

Steven doesn't think that sounds very good. He starts to cry again, and Jasper's stoic expression turns sour.

"A-Amethyst wasn't in the war." Steven points out.

"True... she was programmed by them though. Taught their ways..." Jasper says, "but I think she's been placed with a high ranking Amethyst from the war for now, to see how she does. A second chance."

Other Amethysts, too?

"What about Pearl?" Steven asks; he's afraid to ask about Garnet- he hasn't seen her or heard about her since Jasper... "A-and Garnet."

"No second chances for a Pearl; especially not her," Jasper scoffs, "the fusion will be dealt with separately. I'm not going to answer all of your questions, but remember that I have been doing so, Rose, or whatever you are. So you might want to answer mine when the time comes."

"The... fusion?" Steven repeats, puzzled.

"Garnet," Jasper says, face lighting up with a wicked smile when Steven responds with surprise; he's still working it out in his head when Jasper elaborates, "The Ruby and Sapphire, fused like they're one gem. Disgraceful. Did she not... tell you? She must have been ashamed. Maybe she didn't trust you to like her still."

"Garnet trusted me! I love her no matter what," Steven says, the past tense bothering him- but then the other half of Jasper's words hit, "th-the Ruby, was, is that the red gem from the ship?"

Jasper nods, and Steven slouches in on himself, wishing he was sat by the wall so he could lean against it. He's having trouble believing her, but it doesn't seem like it couldn't be true...

Her screams from the day before- she sounded so upset.

He's a little relieved to see Peridot when she walks in, carrying another set of food squares. No blanket. She shoots a sharp glare in Jasper's direction.

"Why do you have me delivering these?" she spits, "Get a Pearl."

"Can Pearl do it?" Steven asks, but Jasper ignores him.

"Because we have an appointment. You're coming with," she says, then to Steven, "eat- you're coming too."

He eats quickly- Jasper doesn't seem like the kind of person to wait for him.

He stuffs a last bite in his mouth as two Citrine gems enter. Jasper shackles him once more and nudges him along, allowing him to walk without the grip on his shirt this time.

They pass another gem coming out of the room they intend to enter. Jasper's arm is in the way, so he only gets an obscured view from the back;Her yellow hair is done straight up in the air and her shoulders have dressing on them. It looks a bit silly. He hopes he'll meet her again.

The room is ornate, despite containing very little. It's got a high roof and a large warp pad. Steven wonders if it's harder to control one of there are 4 of them aside from him because they all have to concentrate on making it go. The Citrines stay on the pad when Jasper, Peridot,and Steven step off, warping off and leaving them alone.

Steven forgets his curiosity when as they enter the room beside the warp pad. He steps back, colliding with Peridot, who shoves him back onto the fronts of his feet, dropping to a knee behind him.

The massive gem before him turns her head, her strange eyes settling instantly on him. He sits, on his butt, beside the kneeling Peridot, who had now moved her arms into some strange salute.

"My diamond," Jasper greets, "I have brought you Rose Quartz."

Yellow Diamond, Steven has guessed, turns her chair to face them. He thinks if he stood on her shoulders, he would be at her head's height.

"Are you a fusion?" he asks, flinching at the sharp gasp from Peridot beside him.

"No," she drawls, raising an eyebrow, "are you... Rose Quartz?"

"She's my mom," he says, loudly, holding his shirt up to show his gem.

"So Jasper has told me," the Diamond says, "you are the Peridot in charge of earth?"

Steven begins to shake his head, no, before realizing that she's not talking to him.

"Y-yes my diamond. Ah- I-"

"Can you explain this thing?"

"No," she says, glancing at Steven, "my job was to check on the cluster, not read up on human reports. There were a lot of restricted materialspertaining to earth, anyways, because of the war, I presume..."

"And what do you know of the war?"

"O-only that I've been told to not speak of it without authorization, my diamond."

"Good." she says, "I need you to finish work on the cluster- if you find anything suspicious while investigating earth, put it in a confidential report for my eyes only, understand? You may both leave- Jasper, wait at the pad for when I am done."

"What's going to happen with the Steven?" Peridot asks, a little more boldly than she seems to intend, judging by the look on her face; she salutes,continuing, "I only mean that I was the one who reported him, for interfering with the cluster, but then Jasper made me leave my mission for-"

"You may leave, Peridot." Yellow Diamond booms.

Peridot jumps. She pushes her glasses more securely onto her face, and nods, though Steven thinks she had more to say.

"Good-bye," he murmurs.

Yellow Diamond waits until the flash of light signifies Peridot has left.

"What have you been doing on Earth since the war?"

"We protect it from corrupted gems."

"Are there any gems other than who we have brought in left on earth?"

Steven thinks of the room full of bubbled gems.

"None that aren't monsters."

"What was done with my Beta team?"

"Your... what?"

"How about the Crystalline Scepter?" Yellow Diamond asks, adding after a period of silence, "or the Catalysts?"

Steven shrugs, not understanding.

"Do you know me?" she asks, leaning back in her chair; it looks how Garnet sits- casual, powerful.

"No," Steven says, "Jasper thinks I'm Rose, but she's my mom. I've never met her- she gave up her physical form to have me."

"Hmm."

He's not sure what she wants from him, but he's keeping it together by deciding she's not so scary. Sugilite could beat her in a fight- she's much bigger. And Pearl can beat Sugilite.

"May I please know where my friends are?" Steven asks, "I can help you with what you want, but I need my friends; they know more than I do about my mom anyway."

"The Amethyst is being questioned on her observations," she answers coolly, "the Ruby is being held. We have some specific questions we wish for her to answer. The Sapphire was transferred to Blue Diamond, as she was of her court. She was ordered to be broken. It has already been done."

Broken.

Steven's breath catches in his throat.

He'd never even met Sapphire.

Was that why Ruby was crying...?

Without both of them he couldn't have...

Garnet...

Steven squeezes his eyes shut, sobbing audibly at the news.

He'll never see Garnet again.

He feels like he can't breathe, but he sucks in breath after painful breath through his constricted throat.

"The Pearl you've always been so fond of remains well, for now," she says, clearly annoyed.

Steven has been hearing her speak, but none of it has really registered until he hears Pearl's name. He must have been ignoring her.

He looks up for appearance only- he can't really see anything but colors through the tears filling his eyes. The only visions in his mind are Garnet-breaking into pieces on the beach, holding him in her lap in front of the TV, watching shows he knew she didn't like so she could keep him company, sitting with him at Fish Stew Pizza, protecting him from harm...

"She'll meet the same fate as the seer if you don't answer my questions."

He thinks of Pearl, stabbed through the back. Amethyst, with her gem broken.

"I don't know!" he sobs, "I can't answer, but Pearl can, I bet. P-please don't hurt her too. Can I see her? I'll ask her about the things."

"We'll see," Yellow Diamond says, "for now, you may return to your hold. If you tell anyone about any of our conversation, or about who you are,who your friends are, I will see that they meet a bad end."

She calls for Jasper, who picks the still boy off the floor. He sees her white hair through the fog, thinks again of Garnet on the beach. The pain on her face as the light spread through her body.

Garnet asking him to leave, and protect Beach City.

Garnet who loved him, and cared for him.

Who they took away from him.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I hate the way FFNet does its chapter postings, and just realized it deleted all my section dividers... So I've gone back to edit. Thanks for reading!

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Steven can't sleep when he gets back. He wishes he was home, in his bed, with his family. Pearl could watch him sleep, like she liked to; Amethyst and Lion could curl up next to him. Garnet would be there, somewhere. He's not sure what she did while he slept, but sometimes she'd tuck him in,and often, she and Pearl would have food ready for him when he woke up.

He can't even close his eyes and pretend for a while. Apart from the uncomfortable floor with no pillow or blanket, there was the crushing weight on his chest that wouldn't go away. Laying on his back made it easier to breathe, and if he thought of nothing the best he could, he could stop crying for a while.

This must have lulled him to sleep at some point, because he woke up some time later to a gentle nudge at his leg. His heavy dream fades away at the sight of the gem in front of him.

"PEARL?"

"Uhm, yes?"

Steven rubs his eyes, taking a better look. For the thousandth time since everything was normal, he feels tears stinging at his eyes, but blinks them back.

She looks a bit like his Pearl- her gem is on her forehead, though more circular, her face looks similar, but it's not the one he knows. Her hair is a dark blonde, short, and hanging straight down the way Pearl's only does when it's wet. She's skinny, dressed in a white leotard and gold necklace,with short socks and pink shoes.

"Sorry," he says, taking the food bars she's been trying to hand him, "I thought you were my friend."

"Friend?" She repeats, puzzled.

Steven, picking up that he's said something weird, glances anxiously at the guard, who is watching them from the corner of her eye. He thinks of Yellow Diamond's threat about conversing with other gems.

"Thanks for the food," he murmurs, and she excuses herself with a polite nod.

...

"Rose Quartz killed countless gems."

"Good; you people are assholes."

Amethyst smiles cheekily at the furious expression in front of her. The other amethyst, larger, angrier than her, has been attempting to tell her about the war with little success. She's heard about the war. Rose mentioned it sometimes. Garnet only mentioned it as a tragedy. Pearl romanticized it, but at the end of the day, Amethyst knew it left a heavy weight on them all, even if they all undoubtedly knew it was the right choice.

And if they thought it was right, so did Amethyst. She didn't care what this new bitch with her gem said.

She's only met the one amethyst so far- a high ranking veteran of the war on earth- but from what she can tell by her insistence on calling Amethyst, "runt", they're all almost as big as Jasper.

She rolls past the large fist aimed at her head, allowing it to smash into the wall behind her. Pieces of stone come off, but the purple giant seemsunfazed. Collecting her temper, she points a meaty finger in Amethyst's direction.

"I know what you're doing. You might want to take this seriously before I decide you have no use and reduce you to shards," she growls, "you're not even worth the small amount of power you could lend to being placed in an object, runt."

"But, I do have use, apparently," Amethyst points out, "or you wouldn't keep me around. So what is it? What do you need information about that you don't have? I'm not the most knowledgeable of my friends on the war- I wasn't even there. Is it the Kindergarden you want to know about?"

"I know all about the Kindergarden," the amethyst sneers, "what do you think all of those other holes in the cliff were from?"

"You're from Earth?" Amethyst gapes; the other nods.

"Rose Quartz was disgusted with us," she says, sensing a foothold, "our creation was killing some backwater planet full of organic life, which would each die so quickly on its own. Yet Rose Quartz valued their existence above ours; she slaughtered us- amethysts, other gems- for the worthless lives on Earth. She cared about them more than she could ever care about us, or you."

Amethyst thinks that might be right.

Rose would still be around if she wasn't so enamored with humanity. So willing to give up her own life to see how far their existence could was testament to that.

"Yeah." Amethyst shrugs.

The other doesn't seem how to respond.

"Rose really liked humans. More than any of us did, even though I do have a few good human friends. It was more than just that, though," Amethyst says, thinking on her conversations with the fellow Crystal Gems- Rose was often on about humans, and Amethyst agreed that they had the right idea when it came to sleeping and eating and music- but Pearl and Garnet always seemed to cite Rose's thoughts over their own, on why they fought.

Rose thought all life was precious.

Rose believed the Earth should be protected.

Rose this and that. She thinks Garnet and Pearl stayed because they didn't like it where they were. Amethyst couldn't blame them; from what she could tell, Homeworld sucked.

"We had gems fighting for all sorts of reasons," Amethyst shrugged, "Garnet likes being fused. Pearl doesn't talk much about Homeworld, but I don't think her job was any fun; not like being a smasher," she flexes, pointing in the direction of the other, "there were a lot of gems on Earth's side before Homeworld came to wipe them out- I think a lot of them liked the freedom. They wanted to live there, just like you guys wanted them to do- they just didn't need to conquer Earth to do it."

The amethyst says nothing still, thinking. She grabs the pad next to her, keying in her thoughts silently, and turning her back.

Amethyst drums her feet against the leg of the table she's sat on, wondering how her friends are doing.

...

Steven is once again summoned via Jasper. He's not sure what her job normally is, but now she seems assigned to him. He was finding talking to her to be helpful, but ever since his conversation with Yellow Diamond yesterday, he can't. Things can never go back to normal now, and it's all thanks to the striped gem standing before him.

"You're wanted," Jasper says; Steven ignores her.

She pulls his cell open and drags him to his feet, cuffing his hands in front of him, and leading him back to the big warp.

The yellow gem from the day before is once again leaving when he enters the room. She appears to be a pearl, too. Her gem is on her chest, and she's got a leotard similar to the one who fed him earlier, only her outfit features thigh-high socks and no jewelry. The pearl's eyes widen at a point past him and Steven flinches as she's hit roughly by the citrine accompanying them, and shooed off through a side door.

He cranes his head backwards to see what caught her attention, but Jasper is too much in the way. They flash back into Yellow Diamond's satellite.

Once again, Jasper leaves, and Steven finds himself alone before the giant woman.

That is, until the warp flashes once more through the doorway.

"Steven?"

"Pearl?" He gasps, excitedly, turning his back to Yellow Diamond to look at her.

She looks rough, but none of the clear injuries she's sporting seem to be bothering her; all her attention is on him. Steven assumes by her unchanged clothing that she has not been hurt so badly that she's retreated into her gem.

"Pearl, are you okay?"

She's limping, which Steven thinks is due to more than just the shackles at her ankles. Bruises mar her fair skin, and she seems to have taken at least a couple hard hits to the face. Her pleased expression at the sight of him unharmed- besides the bruise from when Jasper first got a hold of him- disappears as she turns her attention towards Yellow Diamond.

"What do you want from me?" she spits.

Yellow Diamond's expression is livid.

"You will speak when spoken to, pearl, " she growls, twitching a finger upwards.

The citrine who escorted Pearl in throws an elbow up, catching her hard in the back of the head.

Steven yells as Pearl hits the ground. She twists, to land on her side, and twitches once, unable to reach a hand up to touch where she's been hit with her wrists bound behind her back.

He goes over, kneeling beside her.

"Steven," Pearl warns, but at no further orders from her Diamond, the quartz towering over them makes no move to stop him.

He helps her into a sitting position, wishing he could do something about her current state.

"This one," Yellow Diamond says, unsure of what to call Steven, "thinks you'll be more helpful than him. You've clearly not been, judging by your injuries, but maybe a change of scenery will help you to speak."

"I refused to be coerced into your schemes," Pearl growls, but some of the effect is lost as Steven presses a sloppy kiss to her brow, "Steven, get down."

He sits, staring gloomily at the cut above her eye that has not healed by his spit.

"Hah," Yellow Diamond barks, "A pearl ordering a quartz around. It would be more funny were you not the source of so much trouble.."

Pearl says nothing, glaring upwards. Steven wishes he could hold her hand. He thinks that might make him feel a little better.

"We'll start with one of your unanswered questions, before we go into the ones I had for Rose Quartz, to test your cooperation." Yellow Diamond says, "What, exactly, is 'Steven'? How does he work?"

Remaining silent, Pearl's shoulders rise an inch, as if she is bracing herself for another blow. It does not come.

Instead, Steven is aware of a sharp pain in his skull before everything goes black.


	4. Chapter 4

Pearl sounds angry.

"He's not a full gem- you can't hit him! He's weaker and we don't kn- a-and he can't regenerate."

Steven groans, pushing himself up with his hands. It's hard, with the shackles, but Pearl nudges him with her knee to help. She can't touch him with her hands, bound as they are behind her back, but when he sits, she inches next to him so he can lean on her.

"He can't regenerate? Interesting," Yellow Diamond hums, "why don't you tell me more things he can't do."

Pearl looks anxiously at Steven, clearly afraid they're going to harm him. She doesn't want them to know he's the key to making her talk, but she's aware she's not in a winning situation no matter what she does.

"We- we think he ages, but more slowly than humans," she says, a theory Steven has never heard from her, "and he needs to eat, and sleep. You need to be giving him food. And a bed."

"I need to?" Yellow Diamond repeats.

"If you want him alive for... Whatever you're keeping us alive for."

"Information," she replies, tiredly, "which you've all been terrible at, by the way."

"All?" Pearl asks, looking hopeful.

Steven realizes she doesn't have any idea who is still alive.

"Amethyst is with others like her, and I don't know about Ruby, but they broke Sapphire," Steven informs her, loudly enough for Yellow Diamond to hear, so she doesn't think they're whispering about her.

It's easier for Steven to use the foreign gems' names, so he doesn't have to think about who they are, but Garnet comes to mind anyway.

Pearl sucks in a sharp breath, eyes widening. She looks pained, more than when she limped in, more than when the citrine hit her.

"They're Garnet?" He asks, wanting confirmation from someone he actually knows.

Pearl nods, distraught.

"Enough chat," Yellow Diamond cuts in, "why don't you tell me about his gem abilities, next."

...

"Your job is to make sure I don't get killed by anything crazy on Earth," Peridot informs the citrine following behind her, "your job is not to interfere in my mission and make me turn the ship around when I haven't even collected data on the cluster yet and I didn't want to deal with-"

She shoots a wary glance at her escorts, worried they're not included in the gems that can know about her work. Citrines are Yellow Diamond's personal guards, but she doesn't want to risk any break-worthy mistakes.

Peridot decides to not elaborate further. They get the idea, she hopes.

Their ship landed 20 minutes ago, on the same beach from before. There's a clear mark still from where she fired a barrage at the 'Crystal Gems', but the damage is relatively small. The wooden housing structure still stands, set into the large gem statue.

It looks rather like some of the monuments they have of the Diamonds, only this one is a decrepit statue of what appears to be a multi-gem fusion. She can count at least three gems on it, but arms are missing and the front is covered by the house, so she reasons there could be more.

She's supposed to check on the cluster, but the Crystal Gem's base seems as good a place to start as any to make sure they don't have anything that might interfere with her job again. She'll just take a quick look around.

"What were your orders? Tell me specifically," she orders.

The citrines look a little displeased that they've been assigned rank below a Peridot, but one speaks anyway, "we are to 'protect the peridot on her mission and only interfere if she is in significant danger that will affect her job'."

"Anything about... clearance? Uh," Peridot tries to word Yellow Diamond's orders in a vague enough way that they'll understand without her giving away any of the weird secrecy surrounding the earth traitors, "Yellow Diamond didn't mention to you that she was sending you because of your... clearance?"

They shake their heads, no.

Peridot sighs. There's unlikely to be a risk on Earth greater than the wrath she'll encounter if she disobeys the direct orders of her Diamond.

"Okay, stay here. I have something to do before we check on the cluster," Peridot tells them, adding, "it's related to my orders."

She climbs the hill to their base alone, checking her screen for the presence of any nearby gems. Nothing comes up, apart from the two who accompanied her.

Relaxing somewhat, Peridot swings open the door.

She's met by a punch.

Peridot stumbles, crashing into a small table before falling hard onto the floor.

"Don't yell, or I'll kill ya," the human threatens.

It's wide, with long hair and a deep voice. It's also brandishing a short blade, which finds its way to Peridot's midsection, pressing uncomfortably into her solarplexus. The human's sat on her legs, so she can't even inch away.

"Don't hurt me!" she squeaks.

Peridot considers using her arm to shoot, but it would take less time for it to stab her than it would for her to figure out and then charge her blaster. Alternatively, she could club the human, but it seemed heavy, and all it would have to do would be to lean forward and she'd be smoke. Then she'd be helpless to stop it from breaking her.

"Where's my fucking son?" the human demands, fire in its eyes.

"Sun?" Peridot repeats, pointing a digit upwards.

The human's gaze shifts up for a second before resting on her again, puzzled.

"Steven- my son. He's small, he has dark brown hair. He's kind and good and he disappeared after your ship landed here several days ago!"

The human's crying. Much like the one they took back to Homeworld was often doing.

"He..." Peridot says- perhaps this is a human way of calling each other- this one might be a he, as well, "is back on Homeworld."

Peridot wonders if the human can even see with all that water coming out of his eyes and dripping onto her. Maybe she should club him now.

A large pink movement out of the corner of her eye shuts that thought down in a second. She hisses in pain as her startled flinch causes the tip of the knife to stick her a little.

"Can I have him back?" he asks, quietly, "Please?"

"Uhh," Peridot is a little uncomfortable with the emotional, sentient alien sitting on her, "it's out of my hands. I'm just here to check on something."

The next hit cracks her visor. He refrains from hitting her gem, but she has to close an eye in the hopes shards of glass won't get in.

"It's still! out of my hands," she says, correcting her volume half-way so he doesn't stab her and take the warp out to a new location where her guards can't find them.

The pink thing has moved closer, opening its mouth to reveal a set of wide, sharp teeth, which she inspects, terrified, through one eye.

"Whose hands is it in?" the human asks, "What will put it in your hands?"

"My leader, Yellow Diamond," she explains, "but you can't get him from her. Listen, I don't know what she wants with the Quartz Human or his 'Crystal Gems', but if you want to live out the rest of your human existence, I would give up on getting him back."

They find themselves at a stalemate. She still can't really fight back, but if the human has no other option than to kill her or risk her yells, then that's what he's going to do anyway.

Peridot makes up her mind.

She yells as loud as she can- and ends up with a knife through the abdomen.


	5. Chapter 5

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hey guys! If there's a better way to do A/N here, I don't know it! FFnet has funny ways of uploading that I don't like. Thanks for the support so far!

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Peridot reforms mid yell.

The realization that she's regenerated- she feels shorter, and there was a knife in her gut last she remembers- jolts her into shutting her mouth. The second realization, that she's somewhere new, has her tempted to start screaming again.

She's in a large room with high ceilings. Peridot would guess it's gem-built, based on the designs, and the fact that they probably warped here. She's unsure of its specific purpose, but the room contains no pad, and there are a few doorways that branch out into other parts of the building.

"Wow, you're kind of short. I was worried you were going to come back with no arms or legs. They fell off when I stabbed you," a familiar voice tells her, "sorry I had to do that, by the way."

She turns, nervously, to see the pink beast, hackles raised. It looks about to pounce on her small, defenseless ass.

"Don't hurt me," she pleads, wondering if it even has enough sentience to listen.

She reasons the human has enough, and directs her request to the scruffy one sitting behind the animal.

"Can you tell me how to find my son?" He asks.

"Well, I can tell you," she says, "though I don't think you'll have much luck."

"Go on,"

"Uh, did you kill my guards?" She asks; he looks uncomfortable, "I'm guessing you just warped away, since we're somewhere else, but I thought I should check."

"Lion could eat them, I bet." He says.

He ran away, then.

"Are you half gem too then?" Peridot asks.

He shakes his head, no.

"Wh-? Then how did you activate the warp? Your organic system shouldn't be compatible with our technology."

She'd assumed incorrectly, before, then. Humans were stronger than she thought. Jasper had gone on about how weak humans were, so Peridot reasoned this one was the same as the Steven, judging by his hit to her visor, earlier. That came back fixed, at least.

"I have- a way to activate the warp," he says, touching his hand to the pocket of his appearance modifiers, "what's your name?"

"Peridot, Facet 2F5L, Cut 5XG."

His eyes narrow at this.

"...I'm Greg Universe."

"Hello..."

He rubs the back of his neck, taking a deep breath before repeating his earlier inquiry. The Lion has calmed, sitting next to Greg with its paws crossed over one another.

"Do you want the Steven, or all of them back?" She sighs.

"Uh, preferably all of them," he says, "but they can handle themselves better than Steven. He's just a little boy."

"What is a boy?"

"It's... a type of human."

"Are you a boy?"

Greg nods. It doesn't clear up much confusion for her, but Peridot is hoping to never have to talk to a human again soon.

"Okay- I am not betraying my Diamond with this information, since what you seek to do is hopeless anyway." Peridot states, convincing herself, "you would have to warp back, defeat my quartz guards, take my ship two days away- I don't assume you have a way around ship software?"

He thinks, then nods. She's surprised, but continues,

"Then you'd have to warp three more times to Homeworld and your obviously organic self and pink beast would have to slip past all gems in sight to find and collect the Steven. Then, you'd need to do the same back. Minus defeating the quartz gems again... unless you allow them to reform."

Greg does not seem happy with this description. Nor should he- it's hopeless.

"Okay," he reasons aloud, "Lion takes your scary ladies out, I have you bubble the-"

"Bubble?"

Greg, unhelpfully, cups his hands, like a bubble.

At her blank stare, Greg poorly describes what she recognizes to be Stasis, cupping his hands again as he speaks, for the visual.

"They... keep gems in Stasis?" Peridot gapes, "here?"

Greg pauses, wondering how much he should reveal before a thought hits him.

"They do!" He says, "there's like a thousand in the Temple."

"What the fuck?"

"Could you get into the Temple?" He asks, "I could release a bunch on Homeworld, as a distraction."

He makes a face, once he's actually said it out loud. It might not be ideal.

"I can't open a door that's not programmed to my gem." Peridot tells him.

It's true, but even if she could, she's not telling that to Greg.

What he wants to do is a terrible idea- if the Crystal Gems have them bubbled, they're likely not their allies, and if he thinks that releasing them will be a good distraction, they're probably not good for Homeworld, either.

Additionally, she's deduced that the Greg Boy doesn't know what the hell he's talking about, which is great for her. She's a little worried that he's telling her all this information, since that's not always a good thing, but it seems pretty clear at this point that he's only bouncing things off of her because he doesn't know the answer.

All she has to do is be a little less truthful and maybe she can get away to complete her job. She doesn't know much about this planet, other than what she is to do here, but that alone means she doesn't want to end up stranded on it.

"How were you planning to fly the ship?" Peridot asks.

He fidgets.

"Was that me, also?"

Peridot sighs. She can't beat anything in a fight, without her limb enhancers, but maybe this hopeless boy will let her go. She doesn't mind if he lives, as long as he's out of her way.

"I'm going to go," she says, "but you can live-"

She jumps back at the growl from the Lion.

Greg looks thoughtful, and nods.

"Let her leave, boy," he tells the lion, puzzlingly.

This is a Boy too? A human?

Peridot decides to drop the matter, taking her chance while she has it. She breaks into a run as the growling starts back up behind her and slips through the first doorway, hoping desperately it leads to a warp pad.

...

Greg watches the green gem go, pulling the warp whistle from his pocket.

From what he can tell, it replicates the last warp from any given pad. He ended up here, he thinks, because it's the last place the gems must have warped to, before their capture. If he goes to the warp after Peridot, it'll take him to wherever she goes.

"We'll hide out and follow her for a while," Greg says; Lion has seemed to understand him at times, so he thinks it might be beneficial to talk to it, "maybe we can get on her ship."

Lion grumbles at him.

If this thing has any communication capability, Greg surmises that Lion thinks it's a bad idea. That, or he's just projecting onto this animal.

Because Greg sure thinks it's a terrible idea.

...

Pearl sighs, leaning heavily against the wall. She peers through the yellow field at the chrysoprase guarding her. It's one of Blue Diamond's squadron, which means that she's been brought in on this too.

Pearl suspects that's what happened to Sapphire- they likely sent her back to her court...

She presses her palms to her eyes to stop from crying, but all it does is aggravate the painful bruises to her face. She first met Sapphire, and Ruby, and Garnet on Earth. She expected she'd die there with them.

Instead, she's lost Garnet forever, and Pearl has to look at one of the gems she'd doubtless faced in battle all those millennia ago, from a cell in the one place she never wanted to be again.

She doesn't specifically recognize the gem before her, but she met plenty of them during the war. Pearl also suspects that they're not sending any gems to watch her that don't already know she exists.

Peridot's ignorance about the existence of the Crystal Gems, as well as the careful way they've been moving her from place to place, means that they don't want to inspire rebels again.

It was enough of a deal the first time it was revealed that a Pearl , of all gems, had freed herself of her owner and was becoming a real and significant problem for the Diamonds.

It delighted Rose, at the time, that her friend was having such an impact. Sometimes they caused trouble in front of as many gems as they could, just to make sure they were seen. Word would spread of the rebellion, and that any gem could participate, Rose would say.

That was how she met Garnet. It was one such appearance in Blue Diamond's court that introduced her to the Ruby and Sapphire, who fused in a panic into the first fusion of different gems that Pearl had ever seen.

She quickly wipes her eyes again as she hears faint footsteps.

The chrysoprase glances to the spinel in the doorway, nodding her consent to let the other gem enter.

She pads softly over to Pearl, ordering her to not move, as her hand hovers by the switch to disable the field. She looks a little nervous, Pearl's happy to see.

The spinel hits the switch, quickly dropping the items in her opposite arm into the cell and straightening to slam her palm back onto the button, enabling the force-field once more.

"Yellow Diamond thanks you for your cooperation, Pearl, " she speaks through gritted teeth; Pearl's sure now that they've met before, "clean yourself up a bit, before your next meeting. We'll collect you, when that time comes."

Pearl knows the message is just to rub in her face that she's surrendered any information, but she knows being mostly honest about what Steven was was the best way to keep him safe. Next, she's sure, will come the information she doesn't want to give up.

"You've delivered this just for me, Spinel?" Pearl says, utilizing her flexibility to lean and collect the box, chest brushing her straightened legs in her reach, "You're doing a pearl's job- for me."

"For my Diamonds," she corrects, infuriated, "we can't risk you ruining any more pearls. They had to break Yellow Diamond's last one, because of you, and she wasn't the only one."

She had noticed that the pearl leaving Yellow Diamond's warp was different than the one she knew. Pearl feels some sorrow at this news, but she expected nothing less. Maybe someday, things could change- it was clear enough, also, that she recognized her. The pearls' projection capabilities had undoubtedly fueled a small revolution on Homeworld before it had been shut brutally down. This one had been smart enough to not get involved- or at least, caught- after being told about her.

"You're excused," Pearl murmurs, before the spinel has a chance to leave of her own accord.

It's a risky thing to say, and she worries that the gem is going to disable the field again to beat her to a pulp, but Pearl can't help it. The very sight of the blue gem reminds her that Blue Diamond, who Spinel swears allegiance to, has robbed Pearl of someone she loves. Two someones, she corrects, feeling guilt at picturing only Garnet in the wake of Sapphire's death.

The chrysoprase warns the slender blue gem against taking further action, but it's clear she wants to get in on hurting Pearl.

They have strict orders to not hurt her so badly that she retreats into her gem- doing so would allow her to remain there indefinitely, until she felt like leaving. They've now allowed her to remain uncuffed within her cell, which means Yellow Diamond now trusts her to not draw her weapon and poof herself- probably due to her weakness for Steven. So the orders must also have been updated to not allow them to hurt her, for now. Interesting.

Pearl looks inside the box. It's just a rag and some water, for wiping the blood off her face. Presumably, Yellow Diamond also expects her to phase out her clothes and replace them with a fresh pair. Not that anything but time, regeneration, or healing tears will do anything for the physical marks.

She's not really willing to do it. Pearls are valued for looking pretty. This is a clear message that that's what Yellow Diamond expects of her, for their next interrogation session. She's putting Pearl back in her place.

For Steven, though, Pearl will do anything.

At least she doesn't want her in thigh highs.


	6. Chapter 6

Steven sleeps much better this night. Yellow Diamond arranged for some bedding to be brought in by the pearl he'd met earlier; although it was only a pile of blankets, it was a large enough quantity that he could pile some and lay on them, with one blanket each left over for wrapping himself in and using as a pillow. He was still worried about saying something he wasn't supposed to, but the kind slender gem was familiar, and Steven was lonely, so he asked the pearl where she found them.

As it turned out, blankets weren't as rare a commodity as he'd assumed, based off Jasper's ignorance and Peridot's failure to get him any. The pearl called them thermal regulator cloths- which was just an overdone and silly thing to say, in his opinion- and said they're used often enough for comfort in her court.

Steven asked her name, next, wondering if she had any details like Peridot's cut and facet ID. She told him she was "a pearl, belonging to Beryl Facet 34F, Cut 7XY." Steven didn't like that answer very much.

He knew he couldn't say anything, in case it bothered Yellow Diamond, so he allowed her to leave, thanking her very much for his thermal regulator cloths.

Steven wakes slowly, stretching out among the blankets. He rubs sleepily at his eyes, turning to check if it's the same guard watching him, and flinching back in surprise at the new gem gazing curiously through the bars.

She flinches too, startled by his reaction. The gem, sitting crisscross on the floor, collects herself and smiles. It's not a reassuring gesture. Her smile is a little disconcerting, stretching out further on one side than the other, and not quite reaching her eyes. Her mouth is also filled with markedly sharp yellow teeth, which fit together perfectly, top and bottom rows slotting between each other instead of overlapping like his teeth do.

Her gem sits on her head, embedded in her right temple, and is a cloudy white. Her skin is vaguely translucent, making her veins a much more visible blue-green.

"Hello,"

"Hi," Steven says, sending a smile back.

She seems delighted by this, and this time, her eyes crinkle, making the expression seem more genuine. She marks something down on her screen, which hovers at an angle above her lap.

"Sleeping, were you?" she asks, finger sitting over the screen in a way that makes him thinks it's not just a conversation starter.

He nods, and she types once more.

"Uhm, who are you?" Steven asks, tentatively.

"Spodumene," she tells him, "well, one spodumene. I understand you live with no duplicate gems?"

"Yes..." Steven says, "my friends are all different kinds. I'm- I'm not supposed to talk to strangers. I'm not sure what I am allowed to say to you."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Spodumene tells him, "I have Diamond clearance to be here. I'm assigned to study the hybrid."

"Hybrid?"

"You, of course," she says, clacking her sharp teeth together in another smirk.

"Oh."

"I've brought food!" She tells him, pulling a box from behind her, "They still contain the nutrients provided by Peridot F5's files, but experimented with a little. If you feel in danger during digestion, remove them from your system into the waste area they provided you with and let me know what felt off, ok?"

Steven eyes the food warily, shooting the same look to the gem before him. She doesn't seem to notice- or care, if she does- waiting expectantly for him to take a bite.

...

Pearl's unenthused about following Yellow Diamond's orders, but she'll admit she does feel better cleaned up. She feels more like her usual self, and Pearl hopes it will bring strength with it that she's been lacking since that night the ship landed.

Pearl's disappointed to find that Steven isn't in the room when she warps onto the satellite. She supposes the threat of hurting him is enough.

"You look nice," Yellow Diamond complements, pleased that Pearl has followed orders.

"Thank you," Pearl plays along, "may I please ask where Steven is?"

"He's at his cell. I've given him bedding," she says, waving her hand upwards, "he's being given food, too, watched by my best spodumene."

"Spodumene?!" Pearl repeats, dropping her polite facade.

"She's just testing a few claims you made in regards to his biological system," Yellow Diamond says, ignoring Pearl's tone, for now, "you may have met- she's a veteran of the war on earth as well."

Pearl struggles to not let her worry show too heavily. She never never met any spodumenes during the war, but she's heard of this one. They wouldn't have met, unless Pearl had been one of the unlucky gems to end up back in Homeworld's clutches. Spodumenes weren't for fighting, and unlike the Crystal Gems, the Homeworld gems stayed within their designated roles.

"She- she's not going to hurt him, is she?"

"You think so poorly of my gems?" Yellow Diamond asks, "she's not malicious. Her job is to study the hybrid, not to hurt him."

"Will studying Steven hurt him?"

"I'm unsure. It's less likely to if you were truthful."

Pearl lets out a shaky breath. She was mostly truthful. If anything, she exaggerated his fragility, which means they're less likely to do anything that could get him killed.

It's clear enough they want to know if they can bring Rose Quartz back. Pearl spoke honestly- that she did not know if it was possible. Removing his gem could kill him and not bring her back, for all they knew. Gems take things slowly, unlike humans; they live a long time. Pearl knows Yellow Diamond isn't going to rush into anything. If she'll ever see Rose again, she'll know she has time to do that. For now, she'll keep Steven alive.

"You did well, during our last session," Yellow Diamond says, "hopefully, you'll continue to cooperate, so we don't have to mess up that pretty face of yours again- or the face of the hybrid."

Pearl scowls.

"You always were exceedingly loyal to Rose Quartz- it seems that's true in any form she takes," Yellow Diamond laughs, "though you don't speak to him as though he's your leader- did that title pass to you, Rose's second in command?"

"It was Garnet," Pearl says, touching her gem gently with two fingers, a show of respect for the fallen.

"The fusion?" Yellow Diamond laughs; Pearl sees red, "You really were a motley crew, weren't you? It's interesting that only the most defective of defects survived on your end. The stunted Amethyst should have been in charge, if anyone. I hear she's doing well with one of my senior Amethysts."

Pearl keeps her expression neutral, but she's relieved to hear that Amethyst is not only alive, but that Yellow Diamond thinks she's cooperating.

Pearl knows Amethyst. She's too stubborn to even listen to people she likes , most of the time. At least she's playing it smart- Pearl was half expecting her to have already been shattered for her insolence.

"It's not like she has any use to my team physically, as weak as she is, but she's now started providing us with information," Yellow Diamond brags, "and we didn't even need to harm her, or the hybrid. She's talking all on her own."

Pearl listens, frowning. Yellow Diamond takes it as a sign that she believes her, and continues.

"She's told us that Steven's half human- the offspring of one she knows. Rose apparently liked a lot of humans," she says, "she's also mentioned being subordinate to you- a pearl- and the fusion. She's told us, in detail, about some of the artifacts you collect. The Shooting Star, the Hourglass, the Cross. You've been gathering supplies, to make another go at us, hoping to build your army but failing to fix any of the corrupted gems that you keep in Stasis..."

Pearl lets her reaction show on her face, this time- a displeased expression. Most of this is true, but Amethyst knows Pearl never wanted to have to battle again. It's definitely a play to get them on her side, but Pearl's unsure why. It could just be that Amethyst knows it's hopeless to fight, a truth Pearl has trouble accepting, but it could be that she's got something else planned.

Amethyst has heard a little about Homeworld's ruthlessness, but Pearl now wishes she'd told her more. She suspects Amethyst's reasoning is the latter, but for her friend's sake, Pearl almost hopes she's just betraying them.

It won't go well for her if she tries anything.

"Why don't you tell me now," Yellow Diamond says, straightening in her chair, "about what you and Rose did with my Betas."


	7. Chapter 7

Peridot brushes off the citrines when she arrives back at the house, heading to collect her limb enhancers from the spot she was brutally cut down with an exaggerated calm.

"What happened?"

"I was kidnapped!" Peridot snaps, "No thanks to you!"

"By what?"

"By... a very large and intelligent organic beast," Peridot says, "two, in fact. I got away, with my superior intellect- no thanks to you."

The citrine with the gem on her shoulder looks annoyed.

"Do you want us to kill it for you?"

"No," Peridot says, "I just want to get off this stupid planet- come with me to the Kindergarden, so I can finish here."

The citrines clearly have more questions, about where she's been, how she was clearly made to regenerate, seeing as she lost her limb enhancers, about the house she wouldn't initially allow them to enter, but a big part of a guard's job is not speaking. She fears they'll tell Yellow Diamond; no use leaving this out of her report, then.

She steps onto the warp alongside the quartz gems, in case the Greg activates it again while any of them are on alone, leaving her defenseless once more.

Pulling up the coordinates to the Kindergarden on her screen, Peridot activates the warp.

...

Amethyst follows the bigger amethyst down the hall, glaring at the overt stares by gems they pass.

She gets it, she's short.

She could still kick any of their asses.

"Where we goin', boss?" Amethyst asks, dropping the moniker to take the edge off her question.

"To visit a friend."

Amethyst can't imagine this lady has any friends, but she keeps her mouth shut and follows along, making purposeful eye contact with anyone she passes. Many of them look away, deciding their rank below an amethyst puts even the runt above them, but some look right at her, and Amethyst can hear the word defect echo back in her mind, one she's heard a lot since coming here.

They eventually arrive at a metal door- the short, round gem guarding it steps out of the way at the senior amethyst's command, allowing her to swing it open.

There are a line of cells on both sides of the wall, and it hits Amethyst that they're visiting her own friend, not the purple giant's.

She follows quietly, shooting sympathetic looks to the two miserable gems trapped in the cells by the door. She's not sure what they're in for, but she's sure it's high five worthy in any other situation.

They turn down a hallway, and the bigger Amethyst stops before a lit force field.

"What'd'ya want?" A small, scratchy voice asks.

Amethyst is waved over by the other, and she comes to stand by her hip. She keeps her face stern, neutral, as she lies eyes on Ruby,

She looks angry. It's not new, for the fiery red gem, but this kind of mad is more terrifying than the loud tantrums Amethyst had seen on the rare sighting.

It's a quiet rage. No volume, no stomping. Just a hard look in her sorrowed eyes.

Amethyst can feel the heat emanating from inside of the cell.

"Oh," Ruby says, "hey."

"Hi."

She shrugs at the gem towering above her.

"What did you want me to do, exactly?"

"You know this gem," the amethyst announces- it's clearly a test of loyalty, "why don't you convince her to cooperate as nicely as you've been doing?"

Ruby seethes.

"I ain't know this gem," Amethyst says, pretending she doesn't care at all for the friend before her, like she doesn't care about the bad state she's in, "I barely ever met her, just Garnet."

"GARNET'S NOT HERE," Ruby snaps, jumping to her feet and lunging at the field.

The larger amethyst steps back, but the Crystal Gem was prepared for Ruby's temper and stays still, playing it cool.

She stops short, focusing her intense, sad gaze directly on Amethyst.

Amethyst can guess why she's upset. She struggles to maintain an angry face, in case she hears news she never wants to hear.

"And why not?" The amethyst asks, stepping forward; Amethyst thinks she's embarrassed about being startled a second ago.

Ruby can't seem to answer that, sitting heavily down, instead.

"Why not, Amethyst?" The larger one asks.

Amethyst takes a slow breath in, struggling to keep her breathing strong so her voice doesn't crack and give away that she cares.

"You broke her."

"Good," the amethyst says, smirking at Ruby as she turns her back to them both, "you're right. That's what we do with abominations."

Amethyst stops breathing, so there's less risk of tears. It's more of an energy strain, but as long as she doesn't take breath, she thinks she can pass as apathetic.

"This one's due soon, too," the amethyst says, turning on her heel to leave.

Amethyst shoots a look at Ruby, taking a quick glance around to see if there's any subtle way to get her out, any way to shapeshift and put the field down without the amethyst noticing, any way to do anything at all.

There's not. Amethyst doesn't look back as she leaves.

...

The bungalow fills with a bright blue glow as the warp activates, dropping a human and a pink lion onto the pad.

Greg looks around for gems, but relaxes after a moment when no sounds or visuals occur.

"Do you think they left?" Greg whispers, walking sneakily over to the window.

The large green hand is still there. He heads back to the pad, looking down at the warp whistle in his hand. Nervously, he takes it to his lips and gives it a blow.

They find themselves between dark cliffs, full of holes and scattered with gem technology.

Greg knows this place.

"Shit," he mutters, blowing the whistle once more.

Fortunately, the last place the Kindergarden warp had been was the temple, and he finds himself back in the comforting familiarity of Steven's home.

"Okay," Greg says, "hopefully they're still there doing... whatever. Now's our chance."

He steps outside, gazing at the sunset, for what he worries will be the last time.

Greg heads down the hill quickly to the ship, locating a way in at the extended finger. It won't open. He tugs, and hits the door, but to no avail. It's clearly not moving.

"Tools?" He asks the Lion, speaking aloud for his own sake rather than the animal licking itself beside him, "Man, I knew I should have followed Peridot sooner. She probably left the house ages ago."

Greg kicks the door once more before reluctantly turning away to find some power tools.

"Coming with, boy?" He asks.

The Lion has finished cleaning himself, but now is doing a funny motion by the door. He backs away, lifting his butt further into the air and putting more weight onto his front paws.

Suddenly, with a sharp roar, Lion opens up a bright hole in the space in front of him, leaping inside.

"Hey, wait!" Greg yells, but before he can even make it halfway, the hole disappears, leaving him alone on the beach.

Greg slouches unhappily, more afraid now that he's not accompanied by the magic lion.

He turns, slowly heading away from the hand, before a familiar light comes through the windows of the house.

"Shit!" Greg mutters, breaking into a run to hide.

He hopes Lion is having more luck; the deserter.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks for the awesome reviews so far! Big thanks to those who told me that the formatting messed up in this chapter when I posted.

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Yellow Diamond must be starting another war. She's been asking non-stop questions about tactics, weapons. Rose, Pearl, and Garnet barely even survived their last altercation, which means that she intends to not let such a thing happen again for her next decimation.

"How about the Catalysts?" She drawls, taking a look at Pearl out of the corner of her eye, but keeping her head positioned towards her screens.

"The-" Pearl shudders to think of what Yellow Diamond could do with such a weapon, "the Catalysts were destroyed long ago by Rose. There's nothing remaining but de-powered pieces."

"Don't lie to me," Yellow Diamond growls, turning in her chair and leaning towards Pearl.

"I'm not." Pearl assures her; she is.

A tense atmosphere fills the air. Pearl's not going to reveal the location of anything that could cause destruction- and Yellow Diamond has no real way if she's telling truth without sending a squadron to Earth to override their temple defenses and search.

"You think I have use for millennia old weapons?" Yellow Diamond laughs, "This isn't about retrieving them, it's about accountability."

"For whom?"

"You Crystal Gems caused a lot of trouble; it wasn't all about Earth- even your Amethyst picked up on that. For many of you, it was about change," Yellow Diamond says, "a pearl, allowed to act like a gem and think for herself; the fusion, defying standards; a topaz, becoming a high ranking warrior; several quartz, defecting from their squadrons- the rebel movement didn't stop at earth. We had to break a lot of gems on Homeworld to crush the rebellion before it started here. My own pearl turned her back on me, giving away secrets and plotting my demise."

Pearl takes this information in quietly. She'd hoped, from Earth, that some day they wouldn't have anything to fear. That maybe the system would be overthrown- if as many gems joined the Crystal Gems from Earth alone, she could only imagine what would happen if their ideals spread to other colonies, to the gem's Homeworld.

It wasn't foolish thinking after all, but in the end, neither coup was successful. Rose was able to save only herself and two or three others, depending on how one counted. It wasn't exactly a new gem civilization.

"You don't know where the Concord Stone is?" Yellow Diamond says, repeating a question from from earlier; Pearl had taken a few hits when she first arrived trying to truthfully deny knowledge of that artifact, "Someone does. If it's not a Crystal Gem, then someone within our ranks has it."

Pearl understands where this is going now. The scent of another rebellion is in the air, and gems who have nothing to do with her are going to start trouble. They've been lying low for a few thousand years, but they won't forever.

Homeworld did their best, destroying anyone who might not be loyal and creating new gems, ignorant of even the thought of defecting, to take their place. Peridot knew nothing of the Crystal Gems because even the mention of anyone successfully breaking away, even for a short while, was too much of a threat.

Yellow Diamond seems to have little desire to learn more about the war that changed Pearl's life over 5000 Earth years ago- all of this, all of the questions, Sapphire's death, have been about punishment for them and _accountability_ for gems she's never met. Pearl wishes them well, but she doubts she'll be around to see anything happen. It looks like she's starting to outlive her usefulness. All Yellow Diamond wants from Pearl is process of elimination.

"Lapis Lazuli was imprisoned for thousands of years by you Crystal Gems, but even she took the risk of sending a message to you before Peridot arrived," Yellow Diamond snorted, "she's hopelessly trying to save her own skin now by proving her usefulness, but I think she's better off broken or put back to use in another object."

That's out of her hands, Pearl knows. Blue Diamond gets to decide what happens to her prized Lazuli, and it must infuriate Yellow Diamond to see her walk, with minimal consequences. She wonders what will be enough to turn the Diamonds against each other. She's seen it before.

They've removed every Pink Diamond insignia that used to exist here, Pearl's noticed. She's sure mentioning her is under penalty of death. Weakness is not tolerated, even among the Diamonds.

"If you don't care about Earth, then what is Peridot doing there?" She asks, finally.

"Peridot is working on a project," Yellow Diamond says, mood lightening almost imperceptibly, "you should be happy we pulled you off of that planet when we did."

...

Peridot keeps close to the citrines on her way back to the ship, pleased to see no sign of her kidnappers.

They think she's spared them, Peridot assumes, but she's really only letting them live long enough to see the death of their planet. She takes no satisfaction in it, but that's how it is.

The door seems to not have been tampered with, either, and swings easily open at her gem signature's command. The hard soles of her limb enhancers clack loudly against the floor as Peridot leaves her guards to their own business, heading to the ship's control room so she can finally leave this garbage planet once and for all.

Oblivious to the large pink beast disappearing into the corridor behind her, Peridot sinks happily into her chair, floating her touch stumps over to the submerged controls and letting the signal wash over her as she redirects her ride back to the median warp planet.


	9. Chapter 9

Steven's been tolerating Spodumene's odd tests. The new food she's been giving him has only made him sick once, and although not all of the flavors were as nice as the granola bar-esque original Peridot provided him, the variety has been welcome. She took samples of his spit, and his blood, but the former was easy and the latter merely reminded him of a trip to the doctor.

It's all been pretty alright, until she moved him. Now he's feeling a little nervous.

It's colder in the lab, and the granite table he's seated on is sucking all the warmth out of his bare thighs. She's got his shirt, shoes, and socks off too, but at his insistence, she allowed him to keep his underwear. He's glad about that, at least.

Tiny stickers were placed all over his body the last time she was in the room, circling his gem, put on his pulse points, his forehead, his back and chest. She warned him not to remove them, and to try not to move his eyes too much. He's not sure what to think of that last note, but it's a little frightening. He doesn't really want to know what will happen if he moves his eyes.

He sits for about 10 minutes, as still as he can- but forgetting several times- before the door slides back open and Spodumene comes strolling in, followed by Jasper.

He glances instinctively to the side before realizing his mistake and looking straight ahead.

Spodumene doesn't comment, walking past him to her computer.

"Okay Steven," she says after a moment, "please stop staring at the wall and look at me- you can forget what I said, earlier."

Relieved, Steven turns his head towards the gangly gem, keeping Jasper in his peripherals.

"Please stand on the table, Steven... Jasper is here for my safety," she says, looking up from her notes, "I need you to summon your shield for me."

"I don't know how to summon my shield," Steven frowns.

"I saw you," Jasper says.

"I know, it just happens sometimes!" Steven mutters, "You were going to blast my friends."

Jasper and Spodumene exchange a quiet look. Steven doesn't like that at all.

After a moment, Spodumene shakes her head.

"Not yet," she tells Jasper, before turning her attention back to Steven, "why don't you try for me?"

She leans close for a moment, touching his shoulder with ice cold fingers and squeezing painfully hard. He peers at her gem, where he can almost see- not for the first time- a dark cloud swirling inside. Spodumene steps back, waiting expectantly.

A couple minutes pass. Steven concentrates, staring at his gem, but it stays dark, lifeless.

Jasper huffs impatiently, stepping around Spodumene. Steven panics, protesting, sure she's going to fetch Pearl and do something awful to her if he can't stop her.

Instead, a large red fist swings at his head.

Steven flinches back, his bubble forming automatically. Jasper's punch connects with a loud crack and the bubble shoots towards the wall, slamming Steven into it. His defense disappears as he falls with a groan onto the floor.

Spodumene's mouth falls open, providing a clear view of her jagged teeth.

"Jasper, I did not mean for you to hit him!"

"He was closer than the pearl," she mutters, "but I can fetch her, if you need."

"No, that's fine for now," she says, grabbing Steven by the arm and roughly hauling him to his feet; by her smile, she seems to think she's doing him a service by helping him to stand.

"What was that?" She asks.

"Uhm, my bubble?" He tells her, "I can summon my bubble again, if you want."

"Sure," she says, patiently, "we'll start with the bubble."

...

Peridot pulls her hands from the controls, sighing happily as the ship drops back onto solid ground. She's successfully retrieved her data, she wasn't broken by the looney human, and hopefully soon, Earth will crack open, revealing the Cluster, so that she never has to deal with it again.

She excuses the citrines, who are waiting patiently by her door, allowing them to rejoin service under Yellow Diamond. She's in the home stretch now anyway- only three warps away from their planet.

Lion watches her warily from the doorway, waiting until she turns towards him to duck out of sight and slink around the corner. Once the footsteps have passed his hiding spot, he follows, making short bursts of speed between hallways so that he can move again if she turns around. He waits outside the mainframe center for her to register some data, then follows her, finally, out onto the surface of the planet. The door begins to close sooner than he'd like, and he's forced to jump onto the edge while it shuts, rebounding off the ship and landing as quietly as he can on the sharp stones of the median planet.

It's not quietly enough; Lion crawls quickly under the lowest part of the ship, keeping behind its surface points. Peridot glances backwards, but dismisses the sound after a moment as the door shutting. She walks over to the warp pad, stepping one foot onto the slick surface. Lion takes his chance.

With a sprint, he leaps into the space above the pad as Peridot activates the warp, landing above her in the stream. Overestimating the speed it would go, he finds himself a fair distance above her, and can't reach down to swipe at her like he planned. Instead, Lion turns, caught in the zero gravity pull of the warp, and hangs uselessly overhead.

Peridot looks up in horror, pupils constricting in fear. Her mouth drops open as the warp stops, and Lion finds gravity take him over once more.

He drops, twisting, onto the startled green gem.

Lion rolls off her, galloping towards the next pad and jumping once more into the stream of the unfortunate gem occupying it.

This warp, he's closer, and as the terrified topaz registers that there's a creature in the stream with her, he reaches a paw out, snagging her under the jaw with his claws and pulling her quickly up. Lion bites the wriggling gem's neck as the warp ends, and materializes in a cloud of gem remains. The topaz clatters onto the warp, retreated, and Lion sprints for his final warp, coughing out a portal to carry him closer and more stealthily to the distant pad.

The gems he passes before jumping through the portal jump back in surprise. There are shouts from the newer ones, but a heavy silence falls between the older gems as they share horrified looks.

Whatever that thing was, it was pink.

;;;;

A/N: Thanks to those who have reviewed so far! They're highly appreciated.


	10. Chapter 10

Amethyst is aware pretty quickly that something has happened.

Her assigned superior takes the whispered announcement, delivered by an orange gem, with no small amount of panic, darting through the door.

The orange gem glances nervously at Amethyst, nodding at her and excusing herself from the room. Stretching out her hand as subtly as she can, she shapeshifts her arm along the wall, taking a page from Garnet's book, and stops the door from closing without the leaving gem realizing.

Amethyst nudges the heavy door open with her foot, shifting once more before exiting the room.

Eventually, someone's probably going to realize who she is. For now, appearing the same size as the other amethysts is enough, and gems pass by her with barely a glance spared.

She avoids eye contact, moving quickly and confidently in the direction of Ruby's cell. Something's going down, judging by the amount of gems rushing past. She's new to Homeworld, but where she comes from, most trouble comes back to her friends, in the end.

...

Steven releases his bubble involuntarily, sweating from the effort of growing and shrinking it to Spodumene's orders.

She sent Jasper away a while ago- the large gem had offered again to get Pearl and escalate things, but Spodumene thought the bubble was enough for now, and that they could do the shield later.

"That's enough for today," she announces, looking over his data on the screen. Whatever it is the nodes are measuring has been fluctuating with his work, "I'll get you more food, and maybe you'll have enough energy for the shield, tomorrow."

"Thanks," Steven breathes, slouching against the wall.

"You know," she tells him, as she clicks open the machine that they've been using to create his nutrient squares, "I never met Rose Quartz, but I heard she was a real terror on the battlefield. Your pearl, too."

"You were in the war?" Steven asks; he could see her being real good at fighting, with those scary teeth and long arms.

"Yes," she says, "my... job was the same as it is now- research. Only we had less time, so things didn't move as... gently."

She turns to him with a funny look in her eye, gem clouding significantly.

After a moment, she shakes her head, collecting his food and walking it over to him. The clouds have gone, and her lopsided grin is back at full force.

Steven stares up at her, silently, before taking a bite of his new food. The taste reminds him a little of spicy cherries. His face scrunches up in disgust, and she observes him curiously, to see if he'll puke again. This time, at least, she doesn't pick up her data recorder.

He's about to hand them back to her, and ask if she could possibly make a new batch, when light floods the room. A half second later, a familiar pink beast skids into the room, teeth bared.

"LION!" He yells, jumping to his feet, "How did you find me?"

Spodumene gasps beside him, taking in the sight with horror. Her shaky hands reaches into the pocket of her coat, pulling out a familiar set of prongs.

Garnet, light spreading through her body on the beach... falling to pieces in front of him... the last sight he'll ever see of her.

Lion recoils from the device. Steven, acting without thinking, grabs it.

"Don't hu-u-urt mm-" He shivers as the device sends a strange, unpleasant feeling throughout his body.

Before the scientist can pull it back from him, she finds herself being bowled over by the aggressive animal. She opens her mouth to scream, revealing her sharp teeth, but is cut short by Lion's own choppers at her throat.

"No-" Steven says, grabbing Lion's mane.

Too late. He sees a flash of blood before the gem goes up in a puff of smoke, leaving no trace but a cloudy white mineral.

He turns his rough hold on his friend's mane into a hug, giving Lion a tight squeeze before leaning down to collect Spodumene. After a moment's deliberation, he bubbles the gem, pushing it into Lion's glowing mane.

"Let's go get the others."


	11. Chapter 11

Amethyst's plan falls apart as she approaches the hallway leading to Ruby's cell. It's got four gems guarding the door now, instead of one. She has no way of knowing how many gems lie behind the door, by the cells. Additionally, she's been shapeshifting for a while, and it's starting to tire her out.

She veers to the left, so she can inspect the situation without it seeming like that is her destination. Fortunately for her, loud yelling behind her turns all their gazes.

She looks, but sees nothing of what distracted the gems. Whatever it was, they're standing there with their mouths open.

Taking a risk, she approaches them.

"What are you waiting for?" Amethyst snaps, "Go!"

"I don't know where it-" one of the gems protests.

"Go!" She repeats, "All of you now, quickly!"

Three look at each other before following orders.

The fourth, the round gem who was guarding the door last time, does not.

"Wait," she mutters, "you're the runt-"

Amethyst grabs the gem, shoving her to the side and throwing the door open.

She slams it in the gem's face as she shrinks back to her normal size, booking it towards Ruby's cell. On the way, Amethyst slams her hand against the panels on the wall, releasing the two gems held within.

They serve as a good distraction for a moment, which Amethyst's short, slow legs need, but soon both meet the bad end of a destabilizer.

Amethyst summons her whip, skidding to a stop and snapping it at the gem pursuing her. It collects the weapon, which she throws into the next hallway; no time for precision.

Amethyst runs down Ruby's hallway, sighing with relief as she sees her cell, at the end.

Before she can reach it, the round, green gem slams into her from behind. Amethyst's head collides painfully with the wall.

Ruby shouts, cheering her on.

She's not winning.

The green gem didn't pause to grab her destabilizer, but judging by the expert punches Amethyst is receiving, she didn't need it.

Amethyst's head snaps back into the wall once more, and the gem reaches at her side, where her gem lay, to summon her weapon.

"AMETHYST LET ME OUT," Ruby roars, hopping, "I CAN TAKE HER."

She's seeing spots, but she can hear Ruby just fine. Grabbing her whip, she snaps it several times at the panel, hoping for the best.

Amethyst brings her arm up to block the summoned dagger. Strength outmatched, her arm struggles to hold, and the blade comes steadily towards her face.

Suddenly, the gem is hauled off of her.

She swings at Ruby, punching the smaller gem hard. Ruby, too mad to feel anything, shrugs off the blow, jutting a very hot arm at the round gem's midsection. It melts right through, eliciting an agonized yell in the second before she poofs.

Ruby's molten hand reaches towards the vulnerable gem. Amethyst grabs a fistful of her hair, dragging Ruby back a step.

"Woah, what are you doing?"

Ruby moves to bat Amethyst off, but pauses. Her limbs are still too hot.

She raises her eyebrows, waving a hand towards the green gem, and allowing Amethyst to bubble it. She's not sure what will happen if she sends the bubble, so she lets it go, opting to leave it in the hallway.

"What's happening?" Ruby asks, narrowing her eyes at Amethyst.

"I don't know, but it's spooked the hell out of a lot of gems here. My money's on P. You wanna look?"

"Yeah," Ruby huffs, "I got some lookin' to do."

...

Lion's breathing heavily. Steven pets his fur reassuringly. It's pretty clear that the constant jumps are tiring him out. They're going mostly blind, so the past three locations they've warped into have needed a swift exit out of. Now, they're in an empty space, at least.

It's creepy, this dark hallway they've found themselves in, but it's less frightening than the gem filled foyers they came from.

"Do you think Spodumene will know where to find our friends?" Steven whispers.

Lion ignores him.

"Can I check?" He asks, reaching towards the lion's mane.

It doesn't give, and Steven accepts that Lion doesn't want him to get her.

"Do you have any food?" He whispers, reaching again.

His fingers close around a juicebox. Dropping it on his lap, he goes again, finding his box of cookies that he'd stored in there a couple weeks ago.

Tearing open the package, he eats. They'll lie low until Lion's ready to go again.

Steven hopes it's soon.


	12. Chapter 12

Lion stands with a shimmy, pushing the ruffles from his fur and the stiffness from his body and mind. Steven hops to his feet, glad they can go. He didn't want to rush his brave friend, who came all this way to get him, but he really needs to find what's left of the Crystal Gems.

"Okay Lion, can you find them like you found me?"

Lion snorts. He doesn't know which that means, but the lack of a portal suggests he can't. He pads forward, instead, down the dark corridor, following a source of light in the distance. Steven runs to catch up with him, clinging nervously to Lion's mane and taking periodic looks around to make sure nothing is going to pop out and kill them.

Lion pulls away as they reach what appears to be a vent in the high part of the wall, leaping a upward and scrabbling at the stone to take a look before Gravity brings him back down. Steven jumps out of the way as Lion hits the floor, rolling off his feet to scatter the remaining force and reduce the amount of noise the impact makes. Shaking himself off, Lion heads for the next light.

...

Amethyst collects the two fallen gems that she'd released from the cells, holding onto them without bubbles. She hopes their eventual regeneration will lead to a friendly interaction and not another altercation- they could use some allies. They sit by the door, listening for any chance to head out into the common corridors. Amethyst worries that they're going to send someone through to fetch them, but Ruby seems anxious to leave. She thinks Ruby's motivations might be a little less strategic, and a little more emotional.

The first noises come, surprisingly, from behind them.

"Ma'am, the ruby has gone!"

Ruby spins around at the mention of her name, echoing softly down from the direction of her old cell.

"We gotta move," she mutters.

"I've found the tourmaline from the door- she's been retreated and put in Stasis."

They duck into a cell, pressing their backs to the wall, facing away from the voices. After a moment, footsteps pad past them. Most are heading perpendicular, away from the cells, but a lagging set of sharp clicks announces another gem heading their way.

An aquamarine walks past their hiding spot, footsteps slowing upon entering the corridor. Ruby risks a glance outside of the cell, nodding to Amethyst to indicate that the way is clear. Amethyst sets the gems in the corner before growing into Purple Puma, grabbing at Aquamarine's face and pulling her, mouth covered, into the cell.

Ruby holds her fingers to her lips, summoning a flaming gauntlet and holding her fist threateningly near Aquamarine's gem on her hip.

Amethyst cautiously moves her arm around the blue gem's neck, allowing her to speak.

"We're on your side," she whispers, "this is a rescue attempt."

"How come?" Ruby growls.

"We know of the Crystal Gems," Aquamarine smiles, "I was too young, but brave gems tell stories. We're of the New Rebellion. Anyone who dislikes the reign is subject for induction."

Amethyst is surprised to see that Ruby doesn't look much happier at this news. Instead, her gaze is fixed on the gem's boots.

"And if you think they'll blab?" She asks.

Aquamarine catches her look, lifting a foot to confirm that there are red-orange gem shards beneath her heel.

"We must keep ourselves hidden," she says, "you should know the cost of war. This was not a potential ally though, do not fear. There were more guards down the corridor. They were likely going to reveal your escape to their superiors. We stopped them."

Ruby snarls. Her gauntlet went out a while ago, but she hasn't lowered her fist.

"Your pearl," she continues, "is in trouble. They can't risk the Pink Beast releasing her- the known existence of such a pearl is too risky. They're going to shatter her."

Ruby's face shifts through a couple different expressions, but she shakes them from her head, clearly guessing who the Pink Beast is, if not how Lion got here.

"Where do I find her? Pearl?"

Aquamarine repeats a set of directions, happy to assist. She pulls a little away from Amethyst, voice wavering for a second as the purple gem refuses to let go, and completes the information relay.

"Thanks," Ruby says, gauntlet relighting.

Amethyst clamps her hand over the gem's mouth just in time for a repeat violent attack from Ruby. This time, she sends her arm through the gem's core, halting any breathing or chance at a scream. Aquamarine's pained expression lasts only a moment before she goes up in smoke.

Ruby bubbles the gem caught with her free hand, handing it to Amethyst.

"I don't know if we can trust her," she explains, "you should probably bubble all three, but I'll leave that to you. I'm going to find Pearl."

"I'll come too,"

"I don't know if we can trust her," she repeats, "bubble her at least, and one of the others. It's best you figure out who our allies are one at a time. Do you think you can handle them?"

"Hell yeah," Amethyst says.

Ruby frowns, clearly hesitant to leave Amethyst alone, but she darts off, following Aquamarine's directions on the sneakiest way to get to Pearl's cell.

Amethyst bubbles two of the three, per Ruby's orders, wondering if any of the gems that passed earlier are going to double back for their friend. She finds herself trusting them a little despite Ruby, and hopes a little that they will.

The chances of them getting out of here are low, Amethyst decides. They need all the help they can get.

She gathers up the bubbled gems, moving the unbubbled third to the strap in her shirt, hoping it stays, and heads quickly down the corridor they'd gone through.

Amethyst slows at the murmur of quiet, excited voices, peeking around the corner as they fall to a hush.

"Woah guys," Steven says, popping through the grate behind Lion, "you don't have to bow- he won't bite."


	13. Chapter 13

Ruby thinks if she still had Garnet's future vision- Sapphire's...- she would see her death down almost every outcome ahead of her now. Death presents itself as a blackness at the end of the river of time, an unsettling path that they would always snap back from to correct. She's seen Pearl's death a lot too- those are more colorful. She shudders at the many memories of what could have been, but wishes she had the ability to see the horrible outcomes now. Instead, it's all black. She closes her eyes, and that's all she sees; there's no third to tell her what to do; she knows the black no longer announces an end, but she thinks it might anyway. It's fitting, for even if she survives this, the black path of death will be a constant weight upon her without her other half to light up the third space.

She runs into a few low ranking gems, who have not been informed that the ruby running down the emptier corridors is in need of capture- they haven't yet noticed their escape, so her presence must still be on a need to know basis, for the most part. Their attempt at keeping the Crystal Gems secret might just be the very reason she makes it out alive.

At one point, she runs into a pearl. She seems to frighten the pearl quite a bit. If not by her disappointed, angry look, then by the look a second before. Hopeful, intense. The pearl has probably never seen anyone so happy to see her.

Ruby smiles reassuringly, nodding at her before heading off. She thinks she might regret not grabbing her, later, but right now there's only one pearl she needs to find.

,,,,,,,

Pearl doesn't like her odds. It's clearly not a good thing that they've sent five armed gems to see her, and she's not sure that she can take this many out at once if they're here to do what she suspects.

"Hello," she greets, standing.

She debates if she should summon her spear quickly when the field is dropped, or if she should forget the slight advantage the element of surprise brings and pull forth a sword from her gem's storage, which takes longer to summon.

The citrine before her jabs the button on the wall.

Too late.

Pearl summons her spear, ducking immediately down to dodge the mace thrown towards her gem. She thrusts the weapon upward, jabbing it into the citrine's stomach, and summons another, not wasting time to pull it out.

They've ruined some of their own advantage by trying to fight her in the small corridor outside of her cell. Five isn't a helpful number if they're all tripping over themselves to hit her.

Pearl drops to a knee as the spinel jabs an axe into her thigh, cutting a glancing, but painful blow. She sends an energy bolt from her spear upwards into the gem's chest, then throws her weapon backwards into the panel, so the butt of it hits the switch. The generated field traps a tourmaline inside, splitting the unfortunate chrysoprase, who was standing in the way of the beam, clean in two unequal halves. Their gem clatters to the floor inside the cell.

The spear she left in the citrine's stomach has shimmered into nothing, but the large bloody wound it caused remains. Regardless, the huge gem stays on her feet, and Pearl, from the floor, can see she's about to meet the bad end of a mace.

Instead, before the weapon can hit, Pearl finds a small foot crashing into her chest. Ruby uses her as a launch pad, knocking the wind out of her but successfully redirecting the weapon's trajectory by wrapping flaming fists around the citrine's throat.

Pearl rolls, glad oxygen is more of a convenience than a necessity for her, and hops to a standing position, leaning heavily on one leg and summoning a spear to drop the axe swinging down at her.

Spinel is yelling a variety of curses at her, but they're nothing she hasn't heard before. Here, fighting Homeworld gems with Ruby, she can almost pretend they're back in the war. It was not a good time, but Pearl was fighting for something with the people she loved. That brought her a lot of strength. She lets the axe glance off her spear, swinging herself behind Spinel so their backs hit each other, and stabs the sphene, reducing her to her gem.

Ruby, having successfully defeated the citrine, grabs the axe from Spinel, buying Pearl a second to kill her as well.

They bubble the fallen gems quickly, turning towards the tourmaline in the cell. She's nudging the fallen chrysoprase with her toe, praying it'll make a quick regeneration.

Between the two of them, the time between the lowering of the field and the poofing of the gem is short. Ruby bubbles her, while Pearl does the other.

Pearl lets out a relieved breath, smiling towards Ruby.

"It's so great to see you. Thanks for coming," Pearl says, leaning against the wall and casting her eye over the five bubbled gems on the ground, "I couldn't have beat all of them."

"Yeah," Ruby agrees.

"I'm..." Pearl's smile falls, and she doesn't lift her gaze, "I'm so sorry about Sapphire. I'll miss her terribly."

"You'll miss Garnet," Ruby corrects, without a beat, "but thanks."

Pearl doesn't correct her. They both know Pearl loves Garnet more than she loves either of her components- she's has hardly hung around with Sapphire, really. They both also know that Ruby's being harsh; Pearl's so happy that Ruby, at least, as survived, and she knows it. Pearl lets it be, for now.

"We need to find Steven and Amethyst," she says, softly; Ruby nods.

"I left Ame back at my cell," she says, "I'll show you the way- can you walk?"

Pearl nods. It'll be much more suspicious, a ruby, walking with an injured pearl, but it's the only way.


	14. Chapter 14

After a happy reunion between Steven and Amethyst, there was a lot to sort out. For one, their supposed allies seemed rather bothered that Ruby had poofed their friend. Amethyst couldn't blame them, but she also found herself a lot more worried about whether these gems were friend or foe with Steven's safety in the mix.

In the end, both sides- one side currently consisting only of Amethyst- decided to defer to the boy who rode in on the pink Lion, as long as Amethyst released Aquamarine.

Steven, more diplomatic than he thinks, is a good choice of leader. He doesn't have any idea what he's doing, but Amethyst knows he'll listen to her, and eventually to Ruby and Pearl when she finds them. The other gems know nothing except that he has the gem of Rose Quartz and that his Lion is pink, which has been a bit of a prohibited color since some things went down thousands of years ago. That seems to be enough to gain their trust.

The leader of their side, a chalcedony who fought for Homeworld in the war for Earth and has since secretly defected to spread word of the rebellion, seems to assure the others in her trust of Steven, and soon, all eyes and ears are on him.

"Thanks for offering to help," Steven says, nervously, "I'd really just like to find my family. Pearl, and, uhm, Ruby."

"You call the pearl your family?"

Steven's eye shifts to the pearl at the back of the group, who has shrunk in on herself upon asking the question, arms twisted in her lap and posture slumped so her shoulders are by her ears.

"Yeah!" Steven says, still not used to the idea that Pearl would be thought of as anything but amazing by anyone, "I love her."

A few gems nod, respect clear on their faces, but others have not gotten over all of their prejudices upon joining the rebellion, and frown at the words of the strange new gem they are expected to now listen to.

"Is this all of you?" Steven asks, looking out over the 12 gems seated before him.

"We have other members," Chalcedony replies, "but some of them are wary to join the fight so early into it. Others are merely elsewhere in the station. Be assured, there are many of us."

Amethyst worries that 'many of us' doesn't figure fractions of the whole. There's bound to be way more of the opposition, and unlike Amethyst, these gems want to fight, not just to leave.

She voices her thoughts, receiving dirty looks that tell her she's not wrong.

"It's important to stand up for what you believe," Steven says, holding out a hand to Amethyst to take the bubbled gem from her, "but it's also important to know when to bail."

Steven pushes the bubble into Lion's mane, keeping it with Spodumene for now. Amethyst bubbles the one from her shirt and passes it to him as well.

"I was just going to go home. If you need my help, I can help you, but if you would like to come home with me, that's ok too."

A good half of the gems seem to consider this option, and a quiet murmur fills the room.

"What about the gems here who need to be saved?" Chalcedony asks.

Steven nods, saying nothing. Amethyst can tell this is a big decision for him. She knows what her answer is. She's going home, and she's going to take Steven with her, these gems be damned.

The red spinel guarding the hall pops her head into the room.

"The ruby has returned successfully with the pearl. I spotted them in the hall below, on this side."

Steven's excitement is palpable, and Amethyst can see the room building up energy as he bounds over happily to wrap the two entering gems in a hug.

Pearl hisses, bracing herself on Ruby's head, but doesn't remove Steven's arm from her leg. He pulls away from her himself as his arm comes back wet with blood.

"It's ok," she reassures, "It's not that deep."

Pearl drops into a sitting position, pulling Steven onto her lap, and wrapping him into a tight embrace. She smiles over at Amethyst, casting a wary eye over the congregated gems before her.

Chalcedony bows her head respectfully at Pearl. After a moment, all but a few stubborn gems follow suit; the other pearl has taken a low bow, leaning onto her legs with her arms stretched on the floor in front of her.

Pearl laughs, anxiously, glancing over to her three friends to see positive expressions on all of their faces. Steven bows his head too, giggling softly.

It's a good moment, until all hell breaks loose.

The first indication that homeworld gems have arrived is the cloud of smoke coming from what used to be the red spinel in the doorway. The sound of her gem clattering to the floor is followed by a sharp crack as the citrine stomps hard upon it. The gem, cracked but still together, slides across the floor. Steven scrabbles off Pearl's lap, pouncing upon it, and holds it to his chest, bracing himself for the follow-up kick.

Chalcedony stops it, swinging her weapons, a set of small double axes, under the gem's leg and sweeping upwards, knocking the citrine onto her back. Ruby pounces on Amethyst, swinging her into hasty dance steps that gather them both into a cloud of light. Shape begins to form, but the two anxious gems have too much turmoil in one self, and the unstable fusion drops apart before it can form.

Pearl scoops Steven off the floor, passing him to Amethyst to keep safe. She turns quickly to counter a blow from a blue gem, but her weakened leg merely sends her to the floor. Ruby leaps upon the gem, wrapping an arm around her neck while one of their allies stabs her.

Amethyst, hesitant to hit anyone who might be an ally, takes a defensive stance, shuffling Steven towards the grate. He holds the bubbled Spinel, sad to see that his healing spit is still ineffective, and unable to push it into the snarling Lion's mane at this time.

The other pearl steps into the brawl, unsure how to fight, but ready to pull Pearl out of harm's way when she can. She hooks thin arms under Pearl's shoulders, helping her to her feet.

"Go with Steven," Pearl instructs, as Ruby grabs at her from the other side.

"Fuse with me," she says, "I'm too small, too- urgh."

Pearl nods. They've fused before, during the war, for fun and practice, as well as for battle. They quickly step around one another, Pearl spinning backwards and dropping all of her weight into Ruby's arms.

Ruby and Pearl disappear into light, gems swirling around inside. Gems on both sides lose their focus for a moment, staring at the cross fusion of gems. Chalcedony, having seen it before, pointedly ignores it, utilizing the distraction to deal another killing blow.

The other pearl, attempting to help Steven, does as he is doing, kicking gems, regardless of alignment, over the the boy, to bubble and place into the pink animal's fur.

The light ceases with a flash, and Pearl and Ruby are gone. Cuprite, taller, thin but muscular, huffs in their places. Her head brushes the ceiling, rounded afro framing her square face. She's red, bordering on magenta, Steven observes, eyes wide.

His distraction is long enough for him to get kicked into the wall by an opposing gem, who has just got done crushing a rebel into retreating.

Cuprite's head swings to the left at Steven's pained cry, and her fist, still covered in Ruby's gauntlets, comes down hard on the gem. She grabs her tight, until smoke fills the cracks between her fingers and a triangular blue gem falls to the ground.

"Don't mess with angry super-mom," Amethyst mutters, scooping Steven up and hauling him back to safety.

The report on the hallways under the grate have come back, and it's been deemed safe to go numbers, aside from the Crystal Gems, are down to 6, but they send 2 strong gems first, followed by Lion, Steven and Amethyst, the pearl, and the rest of the rebels. Chalcedony stays a moment to make sure Cuprite can handle herself, cutting down any gems who make it past.

"They didn't expect us all here at once," Cuprite says, "so they probably spread their resources."

She poofs the final gem, turning to Chalcedony.

"They'll realize when these don't report back," Chalcedony nods, "we should move. Rose Quartz'... human plans to head back to Earth for now. I didn't want to do it, but we may be fighting a losing battle otherwise."

Pearl and Ruby phase apart, back into their separate selves. Ruby lands firmly, but Pearl's leg sends her crashing to the ground.

"You okay, Pearl? We can stay fused, if you need to..."

"We need to fit through the grate," she says, allowing Chalcedony to lift her to her feet and support her.

The light purple gem is a bit stout, well padded, and carries the slight gem easily. Pearl's feet brush over the floor in imitation of steps, but they both know it wouldn't make much of a difference if she just lifted her legs.

Ruby drops in first, holding her arms up in case either of the other two slip after landing. Pearl does lift her feet at this point, allowing Chalcedony to carry her for the drop, before setting her on her feet once more.

They meet up with Steven and the others some way down the corridor. Ruby, aware that Pearl is not quite comfortable being carried by a past battlefield enemy and relative stranger, scoops her up herself, muttering that she's too slow. Pearl, forced to bring her knees to her chest so her feet don't sweep across the floor, sits stiffly in Ruby's hold until she's put down in front of the other gems.

"We're going back to earth, with the Crystal Gems," Chalcedony announces, "any objections?"

There clearly are, but none strong enough to bring forth a raised hand. It's clear that losing over half their forces in such a short amount of time shook the rebels.

"Nice," Amethyst sighs, relieved.


	15. Chapter 15

The silence, fallen while the gems debate how to get back to the warp pad, is broken by a Beryl.

Specifically, Beryl Facet 34F, Cut 7XY. Followed closely by her pearl. They walk obliviously around the corner, directly into the path of the rebels.

The pearl's gaze zones immediately in on Steven, the weird gem her Beryl ordered her to serve temporarily.

"Wh-?" Beryl says, cut short by three gems pouncing on her at once, quickly silencing her; they toss her gem to Ruby to bubble.

The pearl is silenced a little less violently, as Amethyst shifts to clamp a hand over her mouth.

She pulls the pearl away from the gem beside her, who clearly plans on buying her silence more long term with a stabbing.

"Woah!" Steven stage whispers, too anxious to keep his voice down, "That's my friend!"

Ruby, more and more visibly agitated since they've gotten into the tunnels suddenly lunges forwards. She jumps high, grabbing the pearl by the head and twisting her neck around with a sharp crack. Ruby tumbles through the cloud to the floor, expertly catching the pearl to save it from harm.

Steven and Amethyst, both having flinched back in surprise, stare at Ruby with equally horrified expressions.

"New plan," Ruby growls, bubbling the pearl and pushing her gem into Lion's mane with the others, "there's too many of us. If you're coming to Earth, you're going in Lion."

"We're what?" Chalcedony splutters.

"Lion got here by himself," Ruby says, "the best plan is for him to leave almost by himself. Crystal Gems only, to protect Steven. We can't bubble him."

"Do any of you know anything about Earth, in current terms?" Pearl asks; she intends to ask about the weapon Yellow Diamond mentioned to her- information she's already passed onto Ruby and Amethyst- but it comes off to the others as reasoning why they should be bubbled.

No one confirms that they do, and Pearl shares a nervous look with Amethyst.

The rebels gather in their own clump to talk among themselves.

"Gotta catch us a Peridot..." Amethyst mutters.

"There will be records on Earth," Pearl assures her, "I have ideas. Bad as it is, it's better on Earth than here. We can shut it down- Hey! Where are you going?"

All heads turn towards Ruby, who has made her way almost around the corner.

"I have business," she says, "leave without me if you need to."

Ruby disappears into the next hall.

Pearl's jaw drops, but mostly, she looks livid that Ruby is running off alone.

"Bubble everyone but Steven, Amethyst, and Chalcedony," she announces, "leave without us, we'll catch up."

"Pearl!" Amethyst protests.

"I know where she's going," Pearl sighs, "We'll be quick."

...

Ruby speaks to Pearl before she even turns around, recognizing her weird gait- soft as ever on one foot, hard on the other, due to her injured leg.

"You can't stop me,"

"I know where they'll be keeping her..." she stops before adding 'shards'- Ruby knows what she's going to find without Pearl having to say it.

Ruby turns, slowly. Tears fill her eyes, touched that her friend is letting her carry out such a useless errand.

"I just-" she chokes, "I can't leave her here, with them. They..."

"I know," Pearl says, smoothing a hand softly over Ruby's hair, "it's a bad idea, but I understand. We'll be quick, okay?"

Ruby's shoulders shake tellingly as she turns away, but she manages to stay quiet as they head towards the grate they came from.

Pearl's gem glows as she pulls a sword from the depths, just in case.

Ruby lifts Pearl first. The place is abandoned, for now.

Pearl hopes the rebels do as they're told, or they're going to find themselves with company as well. She hates leaving them, but she doesn't feel right letting her oldest friend go alone.

"There are holding stations near the cells," Ruby murmurs, soft tones due more to the tears in her throat than being sneaky, "for… _convenience."_

Pearl nods. She's familiar with homeworld's functions. Some pearls see more than any type of gem, running around anywhere they're needed.

They find the warp at last, through a doorway at the end of the corridor of cells.

Ruby takes a deep breath, stepping on. Pearl gently takes her hand, the one not containing her gem, and they warp through.

Ruby and Sapphire's fusion was an odd one to start. Gems of such different classes didn't interact outside of work, much less fall in love and fuse for eternity. As much as many gems reacted with disgust, a great deal more reacted with surprise. Homeworld just couldn't understand the bond they shared.

It seems Homeworld has learned.

There's two large citrines waiting for them.

Pearl finds herself immediately wrenched off the pad, the other citrine moving to block the warp, setting a heavy foot on Ruby's back and drawing her own destabilizer. Pearl reaches towards her fallen sword, but grunts in pain as the citrine slams her heel onto Pearl's wrist, kicking the blade away.

"Heh," one mutters, "Jasper was right."

Pearl draws her spear, quickly swinging it towards the citrine's hand. The gem pulls her arm back, but doesn't anticipate the spear's following energy bolt. Sparking, the destabilizer falls from her grip.

Pearl sits up quickly, slowed marginally by her injuries. She deals a glancing blow to the citrine's stomach, but her spear is grabbed before she has a chance to make it deadly. The citrine summons her own weapon, dropping quickly onto a knee, which lands on Pearl's leg, and slamming the butt of the knife into Pearl's gem.

It cracks, loudly, and she falls onto her back, dazed, eyes glassy and unclear.

"Pearl!" Ruby yells, squirming on the floor.

She shape shifts, stretching an arm out to grab the sword, swiftly reeling her arm back in. The sword sinks through her citrine's leg, and Ruby finds the balance moved enough to throw the gem off of her. The sword remains stuck in her leg, but Ruby doesn't care, she's never been very good with blades anyway, despite Pearl's attempted teachings.

She summons two gauntlets, swiftly and brutally pummeling the surprised citrine into retreating into her gem. Ruby doesn't have time to worry about bubbling it- if the citrine tries to reform in the time it takes her to kill the next one, it will probably be an unsustainable form anyway.

The remaining citrine, in a rush to get Pearl out of the way before she is facing two opponents, even weaker ones, brings her knife down towards Pearl.

"NO!" Ruby yells, rushing the larger gem.

Pearl cries out as the knife is shoved hard through her gut. Ruby was too slow to stop the hit entirely, but the knife goes in at an angle, instead, ending just below the bottom left of her ribcage and not going in completely- some amount of the blade is still visible.

Ruby dodges the first swipe of the gem's second knife, catching the next in the shoulder. Ignoring it, she lands her burning hands on the citrine's shoulders, crawling around to shove her arm somewhere vital.

Not bothering to cool her limbs down first, Ruby picks up her gem and bubbles it, turning full attention towards Pearl.

"Shit, shit, shit." Ruby sobs, looking over the bad state of her friend, unable to even touch her yet.

The pain has brought some clarity back into Pearl's eyes, but the crack in her gem is a bad one, and if she retreats in this state, it's doubtful she'll ever come back. At the very least, not herself.

"Pearl," Ruby sobs, sliding an arm under her neck once she's sure she's cooled.

Pearl huffs, glassy eyes focusing on the red gem.

"We have… Leave."

Ruby nods, quickly running to bubble the other gem so it doesn't surprise them. She returns after a moment, sliding her arm back under Pearl's neck and her other under Pearl's legs.

"No, no. Sapphire."

"I-" Ruby looks up.

There she is.

Or what's left. They must have moved her bubble lower, as a taunt- Sapphire's remains are neatly bubbled only a little ways off. Sniffling, Ruby leaves Pearl to collect her partner, looking at the blue shards for only a moment before the pain is too much.

She hands the bubble over to Pearl, scooping her friend back up, and carries both of them back onto the warp.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: This was all completed ages ago so pardon if any details conflict with canon. Also I keep forgetting ffnet likes to delete my damn page breaks so I'm going to edit the last chapter or two to fix that problem. This one should be ok. Thanks for reading/reviewing/following/favoriting!**

...

Steven starts, looking worriedly over to Lion.

"I forgot to let the Homeworld gems go!" Steven says, "We need to put them somewhere before we leave."

"I'll deal with them, when we're back on Earth," Chalcedony assures him.

"Nuh uh," Amethyst says; Chalcedony had made it pretty clear how the rebels dealt with the opposition, but Ruby made it clear that Homeworld wasn't much better- she doesn't know which situation is ideal, "I don't know if that's a good idea for anyone."

"But," Steven whimpers, "if we take them, it'll be like when they took us from our home. I didn't like that at all."

"Lapis wanted to go home, and you saw how that went," Amethyst counters, determined to compromise by not letting Chalcedony lay a hand on them, "Homeworld is not the best place to be sometimes."

Steven's lip shakes tellingly, and Amethyst wonders if it was best to bring Lapis into this.

"Why'd you grab them in the first place?" she mutters.

"The rebels kept trying to break them," Steven whispers; maybe bringing them back with the rebels is is a worse idea.

"Alright, get them out," Amethyst groans, while Chalcedony watches the perimeter.

Steven crawls in Lion's mane, sending gem after gem through and popping up occasionally for air. Chalcedony identifies which ones are her allies, for Steven to put back, and Amethyst insists they leave the two prisoners she freed in Lion. Steven stands beside a pile of bubbled gems, holding in his hands the pearl they found with the beryl, which he replaces in the mane, and Spodumene.

"We can't let Homeworld have that one," Chalcedony hisses, curling her lip.

Steven nods, putting her back in Lion's mane as well. She didn't seem to like whatever Homeworld was making her do sometimes anyway. The rebel leader nods, but casts a disapproving eye over all the gems they are leaving to bite them in the ass later.

"We need to deal with these-"

"They stay here," Steven says, "unharmed- they were only listening to their orders."

Amethyst is proud of her little boy's no nonsense tone; he has his own moral code, which he's not going to budge on, and she'll stand with him all the way, no matter what this nervous, impulsive gem wants to do.

Chalcedony is messing with the Crystal Gems vibe Amethyst likes so much.

Amethyst can't relax if she doesn't relax. Lion's taken the three of them who remain to a quiet spot as directed by Chalcedony. She's playing along, at least, letting them know where Pearl and Ruby will likely warp to, if they headed back the way they came, but she's not happy about it. Amethyst worries a little that this new direction by Steven will be the tipping point for how long she listens to him, but for now, Chalcedony continues to listen to both commands.

Amethyst has agreed to leave in the next 5 minutes or so if Pearl or Ruby don't come back. For now, where they'll arrive is limited. Apparently, warps don't really go everywhere like they tend to on Earth. Fortunately, there's a lot more compartmentalization on Homeworld, so warps go to few certain spots, and movement is easier to predict. Unfortunately, prediction goes both ways- it's only a matter of time until the informed gems on Homeworld narrow down their positions.

Chalcedony flinches backwards as the warp activates, and two axes appear in her hand.

"Pearl?" Steven whispers, running to greet Ruby as she rushes to get out of site before anyone comes by.

Amethyst pulls Steven back into their hiding spot, taking a proper look at what's going on as Ruby sets Pearl carefully down.

There's Ruby, crying; Pearl looks half-dead, with a long crack in her gem and a thin knife sticking out of her bloody gut; and there's _Sapphire_.

Amethyst shoves Ruby into the wall.

"What the fuck, you left and got Pearl hurt for _this_?"

Ruby, guilty as she feels, is not about to have anyone criticize her decision right now. Furious, she pushes back, punching Amethyst in the left eye with her bare fist. Amethyst responds by roughly grabbing at Ruby, until a strong grip hauls her back by the arm. Chalcedony is not about to get caught over this; what's done is done.

"Don't fight, guys!" Steven whispers, helping the determined Pearl into a sitting position.

She brushes a shaky hand gently over his arm, other hand holding the knife so it doesn't shift in her abdomen.

He licks a hand, ready to press it to her gem, hoping with all his might that it works.

"Hey!" a gem yells, "It's the prisoners!"

Steven looks fearfully at the two gems a distance away from him. And at the spear heading right for his face.

Before he realizes what's happening, he's being shoved to the ground.

Pearl whimpers as the double assault of a spear to the back combines with the knife being pressed further into her stomach by the hilt's new pressure against the floor.

Her pain lasts only a second.

Then, it all goes away.

...

Chalcedony makes short work of the spear throwing gem. Working together, Ruby and Amethyst knock the second gem to the floor, retreating it.

"We have to leave," Chalcedony announces, "we're damn lucky neither of those gems released all the enemies we have sitting so foolishly beside us, but that doesn't mean more company isn't on the way."

Steven licks his hand once more, pressing it to the crack in Pearl's gem as he's hauled onto Lion's back. He watches, excitedly, as the crack, slowly but surely, begins to stitch itself together, smoothing out. Holding Pearl's gem by his stomach, grips tightly to Lion with his free hand as they go through portal after portal, jumping onto three warp pads in total, and phased away by Chalcedony's commands.

"Take a deep breath, Steven!" Ruby yells, on the last warp.

He does as he's told, holding it. He remembers this part, with Jasper.

That feels like a lifetime ago.

They materialize on the go between spot, where a familiar green ship lay waiting.

Steven stays on Lion as Ruby and Amethyst pile off, holding Pearl's uncracked gem happily towards Ruby.

She doesn't seem happy.

"Don't breathe until you're on the ship," she instructs, coughing lightly as her own gem biology adjusts to the atmosphere where they are, "and bubble Pearl, ok?"

She steps with Amethyst. This time, their grief, their anger, guilt- it's united. The turmoil of emotions slots perfectly together and they fuse into one large gem.

Their enraged punch shatters the warp with one hit.

He crinkles his eyebrows at them, confused, but Lion carries him through another portal until he's on the ship, with Chalcedony.

"What's wrong?" He asks, "We made it! Pearl's okay, see?"

"If she retreated with a cracked gem..." Chalcedony murmurs, "we should place her in Stasis, just in case. Go on, luv."

She hands Sapphire's remains to him once he's done as instructed.

"What happens if you retreat with a cracked gem?"

"You might not come back," she tells him, frankly, "if you do, it's usually... wrong."

His thoughts flash back to the temple.

The bubbled gems, all of them containing corrupted forms, monstrous, uncaring. His mom could heal, he bets she would fix anyone who got hurt, even if it meant having to fix them later.

Lion reappears with Ruby and Amethyst a moment later.

"Is Pearl... corrupted?" He asks.

They both look towards the floor. Chalcedony wanders off towards the interior of the ship, leaving them to talk.

"...I hope so," Amethyst says- she only knows about this stuff from second hand information, never having seen it happen to a gem, "I bet you can fix her, as long as she comes back."

Ruby's crying again.

She takes the two bubbles from Steven, holding them protectively as she follows after Chalcedony.

"Hey!" A familiar voice shouts.

Amethyst and Steven share a look, racing past Ruby.

Steven flinches back as he sees Chalcedony rip one of Peridot's limbs off, adding them to the growing pile. He relaxes as he realizes she's not being harmed by the action. She does look surprised though, clearly not able to fight back in the time it took her to register there was another gem in front of her.

"Peri-daahht!" Amethyst coos, trying to not think about Pearl for just a second, so she can get Steven home, "Great to see you- you're taking us back."

"I am not!" She yells.

Chalcedony punches her in the stomach, with her free hand. Peridot flails, held to the wall by the bigger gem, a good couple feet from the floor.

"Hey! Don't hurt her!"

"I barely touched her, she's just weak," Chalcedony shrugs, "peridots are technicians, not for fighting."

"That's why you shouldn't hit her at all," Steven pleads.

Peridot looks confused at the defense she's receiving from the boy they kidnapped.

"Yeah," she squeaks, "don't hit me at all."

"Are you hiding on the ship?" Amethyst asks, "You brought Lion here, didn't you?"

"It was an accident!" Peridot insists.

"Do you think Homeworld cares?" Ruby spits, lifting her left arm, holding Sapphire, higher, "You need to take us home, or one of us is going to break you."

That seems to terrify Peridot.

"Please?" Steven asks.

"Yeah, and you're going to fix whatever's gonna wreck Earth, while you're at it!" Amethyst threatens.

"One thing at a time, Ame," Ruby says.

"What's wrecking Earth?" Chalcedony repeats, wide eyed.

"It's not so bad," Ruby lies.

"Yeah, it is!" Peridot yells, "Don't make me direct you to that death planet."

"How about," Amethyst bluffs, "I let the other Peridot I kidnapped take us home, and I tie you up outside so you can watch the world end with you on it. Or, you can fix it."

"We're not interchangeable!" Peridot counters, angrily, "I am the expert on the Cluster."

She looks scared.

"I'll get us to Earth," Calcedony snarls, dropping Peridot, "we'll get her to help with whatever you've all been lying to me about later."

Amethyst pounces on the green gem, wrapping her in her whip for now.

"We won't poof you," Steven assures her, "you can help us if you want to, while you're free."

"There's not enough power to get us there," Peridot mutters.

"See, helping already!" Steven laughs, nervously.

"How much drift would we need?" Chalcedony asks.

Peridot sighs, caught. This gem _does_ know how to pilot a ship, then.

"An extra half," she mutters, knowing she's just going to check the data anyway.

"Well that's not so bad." Chalcedony scoffs, dragging Peridot towards the control room of the ship.

"Do you think you might also have any more food?" Steven sighs, turning towards Lion.


	17. Chapter 17

Greg watches, wide eyed, as the ship that took his son from him comes plummeting once more into the atmosphere.

He holds his breath, not daring to hope. It was heartbreaking the last time, when all that came off the ship was the the one who took him in the first place.

It lands rather ungracefully on the beach, shaking the foundation of the house he built with the gems. That's a great sign, he thinks, and the hope inches it's way in, constricting painfully at his heart. He's seen Pearl fly a spaceship- this shoddy landing could definitely be her.

Greg waits with bated breath atop the hill, hoping desperately that the door will open and everything will be okay.

Finally, the engines on the ship quiet with a shudder.

The door drops open.

It's... purple! Greg leans forward excitedly, before sliding back behind view. Not purple enough, too light. He peeks around the corner. Peridot, again, and...

Ruby.

That can't be good, Greg thinks, but as bad as he feels about it, he just needs to see Steven. Everyone else can matter later, after he's got his boy back.

Steven comes out with Amethyst and Lion, squinting tiredly at the sun above.

Greg laughs, joyously, tears happily filling his eyes. He runs down the hill fast on the sand, slipping onto his knees before rolling back onto his feet and colliding excitedly with Amethyst to slow himself down.

"Woah," she laughs, "hey there, Gregory."

He pushes off her, pulling Steven into a hug.

"Hey dad," Steven says, quietly.

He clings to Greg, squeezing hard around his neck.

They hug it out for a good minute, before Steven begins to pull away.

Greg lets go, taking in his son's face- alive, here- one last time before glancing around at the motley group before him.

Amethyst, looking glad to be home; Ruby, looking stricken; Peridot appears to have been brought by force, judging by her bound arms; Lion- his hero; and some lilac gem he's never seen before.

No Pearl, no Sapphire- no Garnet. He's saddened and relieved at once by the turnout, but he knows Steven must be taking it very hard. He pulls his son back into a hug, standing to carry him towards the house.

"Let's get you something to eat and drink, okay buddy? When did you eat last?"

"I had some snacks in Lion, but they ran out yesterday," he mumbles, resting his head peacefully on Greg's shoulder.

"Well-" Greg finds he can't talk very well; he doesn't need to upset Steven further, so he says nothing else, holding his son tight and heading home with him.

...

Steven makes Greg talk, while he eats, letting the man's familiar voice wash comfortingly over him.

Connie's been calling, Greg says. He told her not to come by, and that he'd get back to her eventually. Mostly, he was just waiting around at the house, but at some point, Peridot came back.

"I stabbed someone!" Greg says, "The, uh, one you guys brought back. She's not going to try and get revenge, is she?"

Steven shrugs, glancing to the door, where Chalcedony strides in with Lion and Peridot. The green gem has her hands tied in front of her.

Lion nuzzles up next to him. Steven pets his mane softly, finishing his juice and hopping down from his barstool.

"We took a lot of gems home," Steven says, "Pearl's in here, but she's- she's like the others in the temple, apparently."

"Oh," Greg says, "...Rose always hoped she could cure those. Maybe you can."

"She didn't," Steven sighs, "and she had 5000 years."

He steps inside the glowing fur. Peridot sits, watching curiously.

One by one, bubbles come out. Chalcedony, a large, but kind looking gem, carefully moves them, grouping them by some apparent order.

First it's Pearl, then Sapphire's shards. They group together.

The rest are sorted into two other groups. They end with 13 in one group, and 4 in the other.

"Who are they? Greg asks, startled by the high amount.

"Friends," she says, sweeping her hands over red spinel, the rebel pearl, her other allies, "and foes," she says, pointing towards Spodumene, Beryl's pearl, and a couple of previously imprisoned gems that Amethyst reasoned might not be welcomed back, "he wanted to keep them, instead of crushing the Spodumene or putting the pearl and prisoners back. I wished to deal with all of the retreated enemies, but Steven left most of them there to be a problem for us later."

Steven climbs out from the mane.

"Maybe we can convince them to help us, in case Homeworld comes back..."

"Homeworld isn't coming back," Peridot sighs, "they're going to let the Cluster wipe us out, without their help."

"But you can stop it, right?"

Peridot shrugs, "I'd need some Earth-based information..."

"We'll get it for you," Greg assures her- he's unsure what the 'Cluster' is, but it seems bad.

"And then we'll deal with Homeworld when they realize the Earth is still standing," Chalcedony says, "somehow."


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Thanks for reading! This is an epilogue of sorts.

...

They hold a funeral of sorts for Sapphire- Ruby, Amethyst, Greg and Steven crowd around the rebubbled shards. Ruby replaced the blue one with her own red. She can't let the shards sit without Stasis, but she'll be damned if she lets Sapphire spend forever in the hold of anyone but her.

Steven carries Pearl's gem in his palm, so she can attend too.

Ruby touches the smooth white gem affectionately, once she's said all the words she can for now about her partner.

"Pearl did care about you after all, Sapphy," Ruby chokes.

.

Pearl comes back, eventually. She's bigger, fluffier, aggressive- not like the gem Steven knows. She looks a bit like a dinosaur, with white feathers primarily, pink and blue scattered in. Her eyes are the same.

With the help of the rebel gems, they manage to hold her down, tying her up to the ship. Ruby sits with her most of the time. She gets hurt, occasionally, but she comes back each time anyway.

She's found Pearl reacts best when she's wearing Garnet's visor.

.

Steven calls Connie back, after a little while. He plans to keep her away from him, which works at first, but eventually she calls him on it, coming to see him face to face. He feels so lonely- he's got his dad, but Amethyst is sad and Ruby is sad and Pearl is gone and Garnet is really gone... The rest of the gems are strangers to him.

Connie's nice to have back. She doesn't even mind that he cries for a while.

.

The rebel gems are around. They mainly keep out of the Crystal Gems' way, formulating their own plans. The Homeworld gems stay bubbled, for now, including Spodumene. With Chalcedony's permission, Steven unbubbles the pearl who brought him his blankets. She's spooked, but she listens to him. Eventually, she begins to spend more time with the rebel pearl.

Amethyst avoids the rebels, including them, snapping one time that they're not Pearl, and that they should get their own names. It's confusing anyway. Steven gives them a baby name book, in case it's something they want to seriously consider.

He doesn't like the way they refer to themselves, as "Beryl's pearl" or "ex-pearl to Iolite", so he doesn't think he'd mind if they gave themselves their own identities.

.

Amethyst seems to hit it off okay with Peridot, and she eventually joins the team set on fixing the Cluster, disappearing with them to the Kindergarden a lot. She continues to hang around with Steven, especially when she's mad at Peridot- which is often enough- but they tend to get along well, after a while, and sometimes they hang out together, without him. He's glad, for both of them, that they're friends. They both needed one.

.

"I think Ruby can fix her," Steven whispers to Greg, one night. The stars are bright, and Pearl and Ruby seem to be watching them together.

"Me too, kid," Greg says, hopeful.

"I can do Centipeedle next, and then the others," Steven says, "maybe if we can help a lot of gems, they'll help us, in case Homeworld comes back."

He brings the pearl who helped him in his cell by to see the collection of bubbled gems one time. He can see a peridot, several amethysts, some rubies... there's some pearls, too.

"I wonder who they belonged to," the pearl muses.

"No-one," Steven tells her, firmly.

Ruby says she'll prioritize the corrupted gems for him- they can do the ones that she knows were Crystal Gems first, and the ones she knows were Homeworld gems last. A good number are unknown, she admits, but they can cure whoever he wants.

.

There's a lot to do.

...

A/N: Please let me know how you liked the story, if you have a moment! For more fics by me, please check out "theoncomingwolf" on archiveofourown. I rarely post to FFNet


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